Families of Americans held hostage by Hamas in Gaza say anything less than the announcement of a deal for their loved ones' release during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress Wednesday will “be a total failure.”
The families shared the message directly with Netanyahu during a meeting Monday evening, where they urged him to close the deal immediately, according to representatives for the group of eight families, whose loved ones have been held hostage for more than 290 days.
“What the Israeli government has not yet accomplished that has to wait and happen at some other date. It cannot happen any longer on the backs of our loved ones; they have paid a tremendous price, and now it's time to bring them home,” said Jon Polin, parent of American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, ahead of Wednesday's hearing.
Months after President Joe Biden unveiled a three-phase hostage deal that would lead to a cease-fire, the deal has yet to cross the finish line.
Netanyahu directed a negotiation team be sent again on Thursday, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office, but the families do not believe he should wait until then to return to negotiations.
On Monday, the Israeli Defense Forces announced two hostages, Alex Dancyg and Yagev Buchshtab, were dead.
“The fantasy that there's some better deal coming, or that it may be possible to wait out this or that administration is no more, no less than a death sentence for the hostages who still might be alive, and for recovering the bodies of those who have already been murdered,” said Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of American hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen. “We expect to hear him declare that Israel is going to sign this imperfect, imperfect agreement with Satan, meaning Hamas, but it is a national necessity, and anything less than that would be a total failure of his leadership.”
The families said they’ve been invited on a bipartisan basis to attend Netanyahu’s address of a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday. It is expected to be presided over by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, with Vice President Kamala Harris expected to be traveling, and Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray, D-Washington, declining to preside.
Netanyahu’s visit comes at a significant moment in the United State’s political landscape, as President Biden announced he would no longer seek reelection and back Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I will call my friends on both sides of the aisle that regardless who the American people choose as their next president, Israel remains America's indispensable and strong ally in the Middle East,” Netanyahu said.
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On Thursday Netanyahu plans to meet President Biden, who is expected to return to the White House Tuesday after time spent in Delaware recovering from COVID-19.
The two will meet with families of Americans held hostage by Hamas the same day.
For the families, their fight transcends any political argument or change in the ticket.
“The fact that here this is earth-shattering, you know, political news for us personally, we don't see them wavering in their commitment to see this to its fruition and get our loved ones back,” said Rachel Goldberg-Polin, noting Harris has been supportive and aligned with President Biden.
“It is bipartisan. It's not political. Everyone sees that, and we expect the prime minister to see that as well,” said Orna Neutra, the mother of Omer Neutra, after speaking to the RNC last week, seizing on the opportunity to share the hostage’s story with a wide audience.
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The families met for the 10th time with national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Monday at the White House.
“We know there are just a couple people deciding at this point and we have optimism and hope and faith that these deciders will make the right decisions and we can start this process now,” said Rachel Goldberg-Polin outside of the West Wing.
Meanwhile, President Biden underscored a continued focus on the deal during the months left in his presidency as he called in to campaign staff.
“We got to keep working for an aim to the war in Gaza. I've been working very closely with the Israelis and with the Palestinians to try to work out how we can get the Gaza war to end in Middle East peace and get all those hostages home. I think we're on a verge of being able to do that,” President Biden said.
Families also expect to meet with Pentagon officials and lawmakers while in DC.
Netanyahu is also expected to meet with Donald Trump Friday at Mar-a-Lago.
Some family members of hostages have spoken with Trump before.
"We had one short call," said Ronen Neutra, father of the hostage Omer Neutra, an American with Israeli citizenship. "We have a common friend, and he was very sympathetic, and he did claim that it wouldn't have happened under his watch, like he continued to say during the his speech, but he just said that he will continue to monitor it. His people are on it, and that we should stay in touch in the future. Second week of the war. It was early in the game, but we did urge him at that point of time to keep this issue bipartisan in agreed that he needs to stay bipartisan as a humanitarian issue and not make it into any political issue. He agreed with us."