The parents of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Poli, Jon and Rachel, spoke Wednesday night from the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The couple, who received thunderous applause, called for a deal that "will return the hostages and end the suffering of innocents in Gaza," and conveyed a message to their son: "We love you, stay strong and survive." Watch:
The two went up to the podium wearing stickers with the number 320 on their shirts, which is the number of days the hostages have been held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as the crowd in the hall shouted "Bring them home." Rachel opened her words by talking about the 109 people still held hostage in Gaza - "Christians, Jews, Muslims and Hindus from 23 different countries. The youngest of them is a one-year-old red-haired baby. Among them are eight American citizens, one of whom is our only son Hersh. He is 23 years old and, like Kamala Harris, he was born in Oakland."
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Jon and Rachel, the parents of American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, onstage at the Democratic National Convention
(AP)
Rachel talked about her son, while pictures of Hersh were shown behind the parents, describing him as full of joy of life, curious and respectful, who loves football, music, geography and travel. He went with his best friend to the Nova music festival to celebrate his 23rd birthday when Hamas attacked on October 7.
"He was loaded onto a pickup truck and stolen from his life, and me and Jon into Gaza,” Rachel said, noting that Hersh lost part of his left arm in the attack. "And that was 320 days ago. Since then, we live on another planet. Anyone who is 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.
She noted that 1,200 people were killed on October 7, including 45 Americans.
Jon, Hersh's father, said: “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 that the families of the eight American hostages meet every few weeks in Washington, and have met with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris several times. "We are all deeply grateful to them. We’re also profoundly thankful to you — the 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,” he said.
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Jon and Rachel Goldberg-Polin speak at the Democratic National Convention in their hometown of Chicago
(AP)
“There is a surplus of agony on all sides of the tragic conflict in the Middle East. In a competition of pain, there are no winners,” he added. “In our Jewish tradition, we say every person is an entire universe. We must save all these universes. In an inflamed Middle East, we know the one thing that can most immediately release pressure and bring calm to the entire region is a deal that brings this diverse group of 109 hostages home and ends the suffering of the innocent civilians in Gaza”
Finally, Rachel sent a message to her son, addressing him directly: "Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you, stray strong, survive." Many of those present in the hall cried with excitement, as well as Rachel herself.
About two months ago, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum published the video of the kidnapping of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Or Levy and Alia Cohen on October 7. The forum emphasized that the video was published at the request of the three families, whose loved ones were kidnapped from the Nova music festival in Re'im and are still in the captivity of Hamas. The video, taken by body cameras of Hamas terrorists lasted 1:37 minutes, and was edited and partially blurred at the request of the families. In the video, the terrorists can be heard saying "These are the dogs" and "Al-Qassam has taken over them", and also said they want to take a selfie. They slapped one of them, saying "You dog with blond hair" and that they were taking them into Gaza.
video of the kidnapping of Hersch Goldberg-Polin, Or Levy and Alia Cohen on October 7.
(Video: Courtesy of Hostages and Missing Families Forum)
The "shelter of death" was the bomb shelter to which many young people fled from the Nova festival, which became one of the infamous scenes of the October 7 massacre. Elia Cohen and Hersh Goldberg-Pollin were apparently injured by a grenade thrown by Hamas terrorists into the shelter, and in the published video you can see Hirsch seriously injured in his arm - as he is forcibly led to the van of the terrorists. A few months later, Or Levy's family learned that he had also been kidnapped with the two, and in the documentation that came to the IDF in January, he is seen being taken to the Gaza Strip alongside Hersh and Alia.
In April, Hamas released a video of Hersh, his first and only sign of life from captivity. It is not clear when it was filmed but his words seem to indicate that it was filmed around April, and it is clear that his left arm that has been severed. Ynet unusually published part of the video and the things said in it at the request of the Goldberg-Polin family. It is likely that what Hersch said in the video were dictated to him by his captors as part of Hamas' psychological terror.
First published: 08:19, 08.22.24