Families of Missing Americans in Israel Plead to Biden at Press Meet
Families of Americans Missing in Israel Issue Plea to Biden at Press Conference
Relatives of Americans who are missing after Hamas raided Israeli communities on Saturday are asking President Joe Biden for action to save their family members.
Ruby Chen, whose 19-year-old son, Itay, has been listed by the Israel Defense Force as missing, said he wants his son — who has dual American-Israeli citizenship — to be listed as a prisoner of war and treated as such by Hamas, which took at least 100 hostages into Gaza.
“I ask the U.S. not to take the backseat,” Chen said, according to The National Desk. “The U.S. has a lot of resources and is able to do many things that can be different than what the Israeli government can do.
“We are asking, on behalf of my family, President Biden to assure his heart is in the right place when it comes to Israel and the secretary of the state to do what they can to make this end, for us to become family.”
Chen was joined at a news conference in Tel Aviv by Rachel Goldberg, whose son Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, had been attending a music festival in southern Israel when Hamas attacked it, according to The Hill.
“We’ve spoken to eyewitnesses, we know that he was injured in a gun battle. I mean, they were all civilians at a music festival. They were fish in a barrel sitting in this bomb shelter,” Goldberg said, adding that she was told one of her son’s arms was blown off below the elbow and he used his shirt for a tourniquet.
My heart is breaking for Rachel Goldberg. During an interview this morning, she said according to an eye witness, her son’s arm was shot off & he had to apply a tourniquet. Not being able to help her son must be agonizing. This attack is so horrific. https://t.co/uPgP4huOAT
— Po Murray (@po_murray) October 10, 2023
“Hamas came in after the gunfire settled down and said, ‘Anyone who can walk, stand up and walk out.’ We are told that he was completely calm. I think he was probably in shock,” she said.
“And he got up and he walked out with five other young people from the music festival. Two young women, three other young men, they were put on a pickup truck and driven away by Hamas. And then the police told us one thing they knew is that the last known cell signal from his phone was on the border with Gaza,” Goldberg said.
Nahar Neta, whose mother, Adrienne Neta, 66, was taken from the ravaged community of Be’eri, said Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are “responsible to bring the U.S. citizens back home safe and sound.”
Neta, an American citizen, said family members were on the phone when terrorists invaded her mother’s house.
“My mom used a little bit of Arabic that she picked up working as a nurse in the hospital in Sorokov for 20 years to calm down the terrorist,” she said.
“And it is our hope, which is a bit ridiculous at this stage to say that the optimistic scenario here is that she’s held hostage in Gaza and not dead, on the street of the kibbutz where we grew up.”
Her sister called Adrienne Neta “an exceptional human being.”
“When she walked into a delivery room, she saw a human being in front of her. Not a religion. Not a race. Not a hijab. Not an Orthodox Jew,” Iana Neta said, according to National Review.
Four families of missing Americans in Hamas attack hold a press conference in Tel Aviv:
Nahar Neta’s mother was taken by Hamas terrorists: “President Biden and Sec. of State Blinken… are responsible to bring the U.S. citizens back home safe and sound. We expect nothing less.” pic.twitter.com/yKPS5TWEM7
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) October 10, 2023
Former Connecticut resident Jonathan Dekel-Chen pleaded for American leaders to “do what they can on the side of good here.”
His 35-year-old son, Sagui Dekel-Chen, is missing.
“It seems to me that the United States, my original home and still a very beloved place for me, always wants to be and must be on the side of good. Hamas is evil,” he said. “This kind of savagery, this kind of inhumanity, must be stopped.”
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The post Families of Americans Missing in Israel Issue Plea to Biden at Press Conference appeared first on The Western Journal.
What specific requests or demands are the families making in regards to the treatment and recognition of their missing relatives?
For sure is that they were on the way to Gaza.”
The families of these missing Americans are pleading with President Biden to prioritize their loved ones’ safe return and to put pressure on Hamas to release them. They believe that the United States has the resources to make a difference in this situation and are urging Biden and his administration to take action.
The heartbreaking stories of Ruby Chen and Rachel Goldberg highlight the urgency and desperate need for assistance. Chen’s son, Itay, is a dual American-Israeli citizen, and the family is requesting that he be recognized as a prisoner of war and treated accordingly by Hamas. They hope that by designating him as such, he will be afforded certain protections under international law.
Goldberg’s son, Hersh, was attending a music festival in southern Israel when Hamas attacked. Eyewitnesses have informed the family that Hersh was injured in a gun battle and had to apply a tourniquet to his arm, which was shot off below the elbow. The family is devastated by the situation and is pleading for any information about their son’s whereabouts and condition.
These families are in anguish, unsure of the fate of their loved ones. They are depending on the support and action of President Biden to bring their family members home safely. They understand the complexities of the situation and the diplomatic challenges involved but firmly believe that the United States can play a significant role in securing the release of their missing relatives.
As the families make their plea at the press conference, their hope is that their voices are heard and that their loved ones are not forgotten. They are counting on President Biden and his administration to prioritize the rescue and safe return of the missing Americans. They are urging the government to exert pressure on Hamas to release the hostages and bring an end to this ordeal.
President Biden and his administration have a responsibility to protect American citizens abroad and to use their influence to ensure their safety. These families are appealing to the President’s sense of compassion and justice, asking him to intervene and do whatever is necessary to secure the release of their loved ones.
Time is of the essence, and every day that passes without action brings more worry and uncertainty. These families are living in a nightmare, not knowing the fate of their missing relatives. They are united in their plea to President Biden for help and are hopeful that their message reaches him and prompts decisive action.
The United States has a history of standing up for its citizens in times of crisis, and it is crucial that President Biden continues this legacy. These families are looking to him for leadership and support, and they believe that with his intervention, there is hope for a positive resolution to this distressing situation.
Now, more than ever, these families need the support and solidarity of the American people. Their pleas should not go unheard, and it is incumbent upon all of us to raise awareness about this issue and put pressure on our government to act. Together, we can make a difference and bring these missing Americans home to their families where they belong.
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