Parents of American hostage held in Gaza appeal to Democrats at DNC

Chants of ‘Bring them home!’ filled the air as the Democratic delegates listened to the parents of American Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin received a long, standing ovation from some 20,000 delegates as they walked onto the stage Wednesday evening at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) to speak about their hostage son, Hersh, and plead for all the Hamas captives’ release.

The pair each had a strip of masking tape on their shirts with the number 320 clearly written in black marker, signifying the number of days that 109 Israelis, foreign and dual-nationals, including Americans like their son, have been forcibly held by the Hamas terror organization in the Gaza Strip.

Loud Chants of “Bring them home!” filled the air, but when Rachel began speaking, the crowd grew totally silent. Cameras panning the faces showed some wiping away tears, while others clasped their hands together in shared pain.

With pictures of Hersh from his childhood an on being flashed on the huge screen above them, Rachel began by pointing out that the hostages are from 23 countries and comprise Christians, Muslim, Buddhists and Hindus as well as Jews, with the youngest being only one year old.

Stressing that he was a civilian, she depicted their “only son” as a 23-year-old “happy go lucky” and “respectful person” who “is wild about soccer” and loves music, which is why he went to the Nova festival that was “advertised as celebrating peace, love and unity.”

After describing his capture by the Hamas terrorists among the “367 young people” murdered at the festival, she said, “Since then, we live on another planet.”

“Anyone who has been a parent, or has had a parent, can try to imagine the anguish and misery that Jon and I and all the hostage families, are enduring,” she added.

Her husband then spoke, leading off with a clear message.

“This is a political convention, but needing our only son and all of the cherished hostages home is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue,” he said to thunderous applause.

Jon spoke of how “deeply grateful” he and the other American hostage families have been for the “bipartisan support” they have received to bring the hostages home, noting the “several” meetings they have had with both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over the months.

He also thanked those he was addressing, who were among “millions of people in the United States and all over the world who have been sending love, support and strength to the hostage families. You’ve kept us breathing in a world without air.”

“There is a surplus of agony” in the Middle East conflict, he noted, and then raised a finger to emphasize that “in a competition of pain there are no winners.”

Citing a Jewish saying that “every person is an entire universe,” he stated to another round of applause, “We must save all these universes.”

 “The one thing that will most immediately release pressure and bring calm to the entire region,” he concluded, is a deal that will bring the hostages home “and ends the suffering of the innocent civilians in Gaza. The time is now.”

Rachel then spoke directly to her son.

“Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you. Stay strong,” she said, lifting a forefinger in emphasis. Then, clenching her fist, she said, “Survive.”

The appearance by Goldberg and Polins at the DNC balanced the speech that Ronen and Orna Neutra, parents of American-Israel hostage Omer, gave at the Republican National Convention last month, which was also wildly applauded, showing the strong nature of the bipartisan support the hostage families are receiving in the U.S. 

Democratic National ConventionDNCHersh Goldberg Polin