Families of Israelis held hostage in Gaza called for their release in addresses before thousands at the "Stand Together" rally in Washington, the largest gathering of the U.S. Jewish community.
The annual event, held at the National Mall overnight Sunday, was organized by the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). Among the speakers were Yarden Gonen, sister of hostage Romi Gonen; Daniel, Orna and Ronen Neutra, the brother and parents of Omer Neutra; and Daniel Lifshitz, grandson of Oded Lifshitz.
They urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to "End the war before the presidential inauguration on January 20. The time is now."
"A deal is the only way to bring the hostages back, return them to life and allow the deceased to be laid to rest. We saw this when 100 hostages were released in a deal last November. Netanyahu said Sinwar was an obstacle to a deal, but he was eliminated. The international community must pressure Hamas to come to the negotiation table and make a deal, now,” Daniel, Orna and Ronen said in their speech.
The thousands in the crowd displayed their support for the families, holding signs with photos of the hostages and calling for their return. Outside the venue, at the Hostages U.S. organization, activists displayed a giant sign where participants wrote messages to the hostages, pledging to do everything possible for their release. "We haven’t forgotten you and we won’t stop fighting."
"The solution is clear – unity. Unity for a free world fighting against terror. We must stand together for the release of the hostages and for justice,” Yarden Gonen said in her speech. “This is a fight not only for Israel but for everyone who believes in peace and dignity. We must work together."
She added: "Imagine the moment Romi is freed. I want all of you to feel that you helped bring her home. We must bring everyone home now."
"Our nation is in deep pain,” Daniel Lifshitz added. “Soldiers are dying in war, and our families cannot begin to heal until our loved ones return. A deal is the only way to bring our hostages home and heal as a nation. We need our leaders to make brave decisions.”
“My grandfather is a peace activist who believes in people and the power to create change. He never gave up on peace or on ways to bridge the divides between us. For him, for [Yehud] Arbel, and for all those affected by October 7 and beyond, we must do everything we can to bring them home now. Their lives are in our hands."
'401 days in captivity - a shame for Biden and Israeli government'
Adi Alexander, whose son Edan is still held in Gaza, spoke with Ynet before leaving for Washington. "We have a busy week ahead and we hope to make the most of it," he said. "Our goal is mainly to ensure that our issue doesn’t fall through the cracks in the transition from U.S. President Joe Biden's administration to the Trump administration. I hope we can connect all the parties who’ll be involved with the hostages in the future and ensure a smooth transition."
"Each time we meet, we feel like things are moving forward,” he added. “There’s some conference, summit or additional call that President Biden holds. We’ve executed a considerable number of actions over the past year. They haven’t borne fruit yet, but diplomacy never works until it does — and I sincerely hope it works this time."
Talking about the messages the U.S. administration has been conveying to families, he added: "They’re constantly changing; sometimes we hear we’re close to a deal, other times we’re further from it.”
“Disasters often happen along the way that prevent it for one reason or another, or when each side becomes more entrenched in its stance, which is very frustrating and disappointing. The fact that we’ve marked 401 days in Hamas captivity is a shame for both the Biden administration and the Israeli government,” he added.
"I met with Trump about a month ago," Alexander said. "We had a relatively long and personal meeting before he knew he was going to be elected. Maybe he felt he would be. He made us a promise that the hostage issue would remain a top priority and I hope he follows through on that."
"I hope this issue doesn’t drag on until after the inauguration," he added. "There’s an argument that now President Biden won’t be bound by the consequences of a tougher or bolder stance when it comes to negotiations."
'I don't know how they're surviving'
Former hostage Yelena Trufanov, whose son Alexander remains captive in Gaza, said in an interview with Ynet that her son is marking a second birthday in captivity. "Today I feel just like I do every other day," she shared. "I didn’t think it would take so long. It seemed like it would happen soon, maybe in a month or two. It just doesn’t end."
Yelena, who lost her husband and house on October 7, added: "I don’t know how they’re surviving. Every day I pray that they have food, water and air."
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U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
When asked how she copes, she replied: "Only prayers, faith and support from others keep me strong. When people talk about a deal too much it means it’s not going to happen. Things are supposed to happen in silence. But I’m very hopeful. What else can I do? Everyone says, 'Don’t listen to the media,' but I don’t know who to trust."
She also spoke about her son. "He’s smart, good-hearted and handsome. He has so many friends. When we were all there [in captivity], his friends took on the role our families would have, cared for us, were our voice and they’re still in touch, continuing to be our family. We’re all waiting for my son Sasha to come home already," she said.
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