The GOP and DNC Agree, Israeli Hostages in Gaza Must Be Freed | Opinion

Last Wednesday, the Democratic National Convention put joy on hold to remember the eight U.S. citizens taken hostage in Israel on Oct. 7. As Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg spoke—just as we spoke at the Republican convention—we hoped the crowd would honor our 22-year-old son, Omer Neutra, and his fellow hostages. But as those in the United Center rose to their feet, breaking into tears and chanting “Bring Them Home,” we were in disbelief by the outpouring of solidarity and emotion. This issue of bringing our hostages home is not a political matter, so we went to both the DNC and the RNC to advocate for our loved ones. We are heartened to see communities across the globe and of all political identities rally to this cause. And yet, after 320 days without our son, we must ask: how is it that we are still calling for the hostages’ release?

Omer is an all-American kid. He grew up on Long Island, was a three-time sports team captain, and is beloved by his family and friends. After graduation, he deferred his studies at the University of Binghamton to spend a gap year in Israel, where he has a large family. During that year, he decided to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). On Oct. 7, he was serving as a first responder to the Gaza border breach, when Hamas terrorists took him and hundreds more captive.

When Omer was taken by Hamas time stopped, but moments like last week’s convention remind us that the world keeps moving and so we must move with it and make sure our son and the remaining 108 hostages aren’t forgotten. This time last year, we were small business owners who voted and followed the news but kept our political engagement to a minimum. Oct. 7 forced us head-first into the world of politics.

In the span of 10 months, we have attended the State of the Union address and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress. We took part in the Democratic National Convention and spoke at the Republican National Convention the month before. We’ve met with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, spoken with former President Donald Trump on the phone, and we’ve gotten to know dozens of government officials and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle.

We’re showing up where politics happen, but we’re no more political than we were before Oct. 7. Our message has stayed the same—it is one of parents appealing to human beings. For nearly a year, we have traveled the world, imploring all governments, all leaders, all people to help us bring our son and the other remaining hostages, hailing from more than 20 countries and five different religions, home. There are first-hand reports that Hamas is starving, torturing, and sexually abusing the hostages. Their captivity cannot be a political issue—it is a global humanitarian crisis, and it can only be solved through unity and focus.

On Sunday, negotiations between Israel and Hamas ended with no breakthrough in sight—Netanyahu continued to double down on new demands for a ceasefire agreement and Hamas leaders refused to consider them. While the 10-month standoff between these leaders persists, hostages are dying. The IDF might have rescued 53-year-old Muslim, Arab, and Israeli hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi today, but last week, they recovered only the bodies of six hostages who were taken alive and murdered in captivity. If negotiations continue at this rate, every hostage and countless innocent people will meet the same fate. That includes our son, seven other U.S. citizens, hostages from 23 countries, and scores of civilians in Gaza.

We’re out of time. Our leaders must resist the pull of politics, work across the aisle, and treat the situation in Gaza like the bipartisan humanitarian crisis it is. Finger pointing and taking credit for progress in the Middle East gets us nowhere. We need every elected leader both here in the United States and in the Mideast working together to get the job done.

We’ve met with everyone from dignitaries to celebrities since Oct. 7, but there is only one person we’re longing to reunite with: our son Omer at the Gaza border. We dream of the day we can leave politics behind and resume the life we cherished—at home, with all our children near us, safe, sound, and free.

Ronen and Orna Neutra are the parents of 22-year-old Omer Neutra, who has been held hostage by Hamas since Oct. 7, 2024.

The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.