A delegation of six families of Israelis kidnapped and murdered in the October 7 Hamas massacre visited the Colorado State Capitol on Monday in delegation arranged on behalf of the Diaspora and Foreign Affairs ministries, but to the surprise of the visitors they were denied entry to the chambers of the Colorado House of Representatives by House Speaker Julie McCluskie.
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As part of the prearranged visit, the delegation met with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who is Jewish, and Jewish state Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet. They met with members of the state House and Senate in a joint meeting in the Senate chambers
State House of Representatives lawmaker Ron Weinberg said he had received permission from the speaker for the families to visit the House floor.
McCluskie said in a statement that she decided the joint meeting in the Senate would ensure a "respectful environment" for the Israeli families.
“We must respect the deep personal connections members in this chamber have to this ongoing tragedy. I did not have assurances that members on both sides of the aisle would rise to the occasion, and I had concerns that continuing to bring this issue into the chamber would have had long term detrimental impacts on how we are able to work together for the people of Colorado,” she said.
Some House lawmakers from the progressive wing have expressed solidarity with Palestinians since the start of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.
Ron Weinberg, a Jewish member of the House of Representatives with family in Israel, responded to McCluskie's decision.
"It is outrageous that the Democrats do not trust their own members not to 'embarrass' family members of victims who have been taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. This is not a Republican or Democrat issue – this is about saying no to evil; It's about standing up right and wrong; This is about basic human decency," he posted on the X social media platform.
Michelson also offered her support to the Israeli families.
“These families have flown all the way from Israel because they know time is limited. Their loved ones’ time is short, and if we don’t bring them home from Gaza now, we don’t know that we will ever get to bring them home,” she said on the floor of the Senate. "They came all the way from Israel to talk to us, to ask us to do everything we can. There are things we can do. We can cry for help. We are not helpless at this moment."
Families begin their journey in the United States, which will conclude in New York, in Denver, with a meeting with the Gov. Jared Polis.
“The unbearable pain these families have faced is hard to imagine, but I’m grateful that they shared their stories and the stories of their loved ones with us here in Colorado. These innocent hostages are still waiting to see their families and loved ones. It’s time that Hamas release the hostages and let them come home. The loss of innocent civilian lives during this conflict is tragic, and we must continue standing together to fight hate. We are working to create a Colorado for all, where everyone can thrive no matter who they are or what they believe, and today’s visit was a reminder of why that work continues to be so important," Polis said.
Delegation members include Yaakov Argamani, father of Noa Argamani, 26, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, and seen being taken into Gaza on the back of a motorcycle driven by Hamas terrorists; Shahar Mor Zahiro, whose uncle Avraham Munder, 78, was abducted from the Nir Oz kibbutz; the father of Shani Louk and the mother of Yonatan Samrano , who were kidnapped from music festival and murdered
From Denver, the delegation will continue to New York, where the representatives of the families are expected to meet with ambassadors, senior government officials, congressmen and international organizations, as well as with local and international media bodies.
The government delegation that is now in the US at the initiative of the Diaspora Affairs Ministry and in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry, is the 11th that has gone abroad since the beginning of the war, to London, Rome, Brussels, Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Japan and Paris. The members of the families met with heads of state, members of parliament, representatives of aid organizations, media personalities and journalists, with the aim of exerting international pressure for the return of the hostages and actions against Hamas.