The parents of a 23-year-old American taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 attack on Israel gave a moving speech in the Democratic National Conventionin which he called for the release of the dozens of people still held captive in Gaza.
“This is a political convention. But the fact that our only son — and all the cherished hostages — have to come home is not a political issue. It’s a humanitarian issue,” said Jon Polin, whose son Hersh Goldberg-Polin lost part of his left arm and was kidnapped by Israeli militants who attacked the music festival he was attending.
Polin and his wife, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, were greeted by thousands of Democratic delegates in Chicago with sustained applause and chants of “bring him home.”
They stayed away from politics in their 10-minute speech, but Jon Polin said the families of the American hostages meet regularly in Washington and are pleased to see bipartisan support for securing the release of their loved ones. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harrishe said, both are working “tirelessly” for a deal between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the remaining hostages.
“Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you, be strong, survive,” said Rachel Polin-Goldberg.
She and her husband wore stickers with the number 320, to draw attention to the number of days their son has been in detention.
The speech put an emotional and human face on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, a sensitive issue for Democrats, who have been under pressure from pro-Palestinian protesters to press Israel more forcefully to end the blockade that has devastated much of the Gaza Strip and killed tens of thousands, Gaza’s health ministry said. The ministry does not distinguish between militants and civilians in its count of the dead.
There are still more than 100 hostages in Gaza, though some are believed to be dead. Family members of six of the eight American hostages still held by Hamas were in Chicago to raise awareness about the plight of their loved ones.
Ronen and Orna Neutra, the parents of hostage Omer Neutra, were invited to speak at the Republican Party convention last month.
“Time is running out,” Ronen Neutra told The Associated Press at the Democratic convention. “And all the leaders need to work together in a bipartisan way to put pressure on both Hamas and the Israeli government and reach a deal that is long, long overdue.”
On Tuesday, several pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested after they clashed with police during a protest that started in front of the Israeli consulate and spread to surrounding streets.
Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, as the United States pressures Israel and Hamas to agree to a “bridge proposal” that could lead to a ceasefire in the war in Gaza.