Efrat Machikawa

Efrat Machikawa is an Israeli activist and former diplomat. She served as the Culture, Science and Innovation Attaché at the Israeli Embassy in Japan. Following the October 7 attacks, she began working on advocacy for Israeli hostages in Gaza. This work started after several of her own family members were taken during the attacks.

Career During her time in Japan, Machikawa handled cultural and scientific initiatives for the Israeli embassy.

Currently, she is a doctoral student at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in the Medical Sciences department. Her research paper from 2022 looked at how nursing students use simulation training.

Activism Machikawa began campaigning for the release of the hostages after several of her family members were taken, including her uncle Gadi Moses, in the Kidnapping of Gadi Moses. She acts as a spokesperson for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and has spoken at various public events. She was involved in efforts to get medicine to hostages and Palestinian children with cancer.

Her comments on the crisis have appeared in the BBC, Time, and The New York Times. She has also been interviewed by Deutsche Welle, ABC Radio National, CNN, PBS NewsHour, Haaretz, as well as a profile piece in The Japan Times.