A day after Hamas released a psychological terror video of American Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, his father, Adi, and hundreds of activists gathered in New York's Central Park to call on current U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump to act and bring about a deal for the release of all 101 hostages still held in Gaza.
"Edan's words in the video haunt me: 'Every day here feels like eternity.' No father should hear their child plead for their life like that," Adi Alexander told the crowd. "Edan believes in the strength of the U.S., and so do I, but strength means nothing if it is not combined with action."
Protest in New York's Central Park for the return of the hostages
"I stand here after seeing my son alive for the first time in over a year. It did give us a glimmer of hope, but it also reignited the urgency of our plea: Time is running out. President Biden, President-elect Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu - I call on you all to act. This is not a moment for politics or hesitation. This is a moment for courage, collaboration, and decisive action," he said.
Ronen and Orna Neutra, the parents of American Israeli hostage Omer Neutra, also spoke at the rally and called on Biden and Trump to "seize the moment, work together, before January. It can be a moment that unites us all."
2 View gallery
Ronen and Orna Neutra, parents of Omer, a dual Israeli-American citizen who is currently held hostage in Gaza
"Conditions in Lebanon have changed, all eyes are now on Gaza. The people of Israel are waiting. It's time to bring them back. Omar and Idan grew up here, did the Zionist act, left everything behind and gave everything to the country they love. They deserve to go home," they said.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said at the rally that it is "important that the world knows that we will not stop fighting. We demand that the international community make the issue a priority. Bring Edan, Omar and everyone home. Now."
Similar rallies are held weekly in New York, but Sunday's drew several hundred more people due to the release of the video of Eden Alexander. Hamas still holds seven hostages with American citizenship.