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I have not known where my son Itay is for over a year. My son is a 19-year-old U.S. citizen and together with 100 other hostages, has been a captive of the terror group Hamas for over a year now, more than 400 days to be precise. For all of our families, it has been eternity.
My wife Hagit and I, along with the many families of the hostages being held in the Hamas dungeons in Gaza, could not have imagined that we would still be in this same position come Election Day, yet here we are. Despite the negotiated release of half of the hostages who were taken into Gaza a year ago, since then the U.S. and Israel can’t get the rest of the hostages out.
The U.S. government and the Biden administration have been incredibly supportive, working tirelessly toward what they hoped would facilitate the release of our loved ones. But their efforts have been to no avail. After months of stalled talks and minimal movement toward securing their freedom, the elections have finally given us new hope.
IRAN-LINKED ATTACKS AGAINST US SKYROCKET BY 600% SINCE OCT 2023 HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL: REPORT
President-elect Donald Trump’s victory has offered new hope to those of us calling for immediate and conclusive actions to bring our loved ones home.
Surrounded by other family members of Americans who were taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of Sagui Dekel-Chen, and Ruby Chen, father of Itay Chen, speaks to reporters after a meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday, December 13, 2023.
We also just passed the anniversary of the beginning of the Iran hostage crisis, which began on November 4, 1979. Iranian revolutionaries stormed the American embassy in Tehran and took 53 Americans hostage. When they were eventually released, they had been held for 444 days. This was one of the biggest news stories of the decade, and the crisis only ended when President Ronald Reagan was elected. With this electoral victory, Trump can have his own Reagan moment.
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Trump’s unique leadership and experience in the Middle East, exemplified by the Abraham Accords which forged peace between Israel and many of its Arab neighbors, puts him in a potent position to forge movement and end the hostage humanitarian crisis. As a results-driven dealmaker with a track record of securing historic agreements, Trump gives us newborn confidence that he can finally break through the impasse and secure a deal.
No doubt, Trump has much on his plate to fix in his second term. Nevertheless, a hostage deal needs to be at the top of his agenda. Especially given his deep emphasis on advancing the best interests of the American people, with seven of the remaining hostages being U.S. citizens, the hostage crisis in Gaza is an American crisis. Every day, indeed, every minute, that passes, puts the hostages’ lives in more and more danger, threatening the U.S. strategic interests in the Middle East, and the world.
Trump’s fearless, pragmatic approach to problem-solving is exactly what’s needed now. With his influence and proven ability to forge ahead unlikely partnerships and play hardball when needed, willing to leverage and use the tools at America’s disposal to make Itay’s safe return a priority. I urge Trump to leverage his experience and unleash the mighty force of the U.S. to pressure Hamas and its allies, using every diplomatic, economic and political lever available.
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This is his opportunity to fulfill his promise to protect Americans and to show that his legacy extends far beyond borders. In his previous term as president, he correctly prioritized the release of U.S. citizens worldwide and reunited many families that thanked him for his leadership. My plea to President Trump is simple: bring my son and the other hundred hostages back home, where they belong. We know that some of them are dead, and their families deserve to give them proper burials.
The fact that the world’s greatest superpower, the U.S., has been unable to secure the release of all eight of its citizens being held hostage by a heinous, brutal terror group has gone on for far too long. One of those eight, Hersh Goldberg-Polin was executed while awaiting rescue. We can’t lose anymore. We hope, we pray, that the new Trump administration will demonstrate the resolve to finally, finally, bring them home. I am praying today is the day I get a phone call with the new president-elect on the phone notifying me Itay is on his way back home.
Ruby Chen is the father of U.S. hostage Itay Chen, who was taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.