Bring Them Home
Floor Speech
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Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker. I rise today, as I have at several special order hours these past six months, on behalf of Itay Chen and his family.
This is the first time I've done so since we learned the devastating news that Hamas terrorists killed Itay on October 7.
An American Israeli serving bravely in the IDF, he died defending innocent Israeli civilians from Hamas' brutal, cowardly surprise attack.
He was only nineteen years old.
Not satisfied with killing this courageous defender, the terrorists took Itay's body into Gaza, where it remains. Doing so was an act of supreme moral depravity and dishonor.
When I first met Itay's father Ruby shortly after October 7, he gave me this dogtag which says: ``Bring Them Home Now.''
Mr. Speaker, I rise today because our commitment to bring his son home has not changed.
Itay deserves to be laid to rest with the honor that befits a hero and with the dignity that befits every human life.
His family deserves to sit Shiva and to process this terrible loss properly.
They cannot get that closure, however, until we secure Itay's remains.
They have my word, Mr. Speaker, that our Government will not yield until they are reunited with their son.
Nor will we stop until all the remaining hostages--those living and those not--are returned to their families.
Until then, we will keep supporting the Chens and the other families waiting to put their loved ones to rest.
We will stand with the families who still hold out hope for their loved ones' safe return--a hope that we all share.
And we will keep fighting for the release of those hostages who remain in Gaza.
May Itay's memory be a blessing, and may his spirit continue to give us the strength necessary to bring these hostages home.
Mr. WILLIAMS of New York. Mr. Speaker, six brutal months have passed, and over half of the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on October 7th have still not been released. This is nothing short of an unthinkable crime against humanity. It is inhuman.
Each of the remaining hostages, these are human beings. Human beings with individual hopes and dreams, just like you and me. Each one has a family and loved ones back home in Israel, devastated by their kidnapping and desperately begging for their release. Many are children, or elderly, with no involvement in any combat whatsoever.
Last week, I saw the Nir Oz Kibbutz and the site of the Tribe of Nova Music Festival, where so many Israelis were kidnapped on October 7th, and many more were killed. I heard firsthand accounts from survivors on the ground, you can still hear the pain in their voices. Even then, that pain is incomparable to the ongoing trauma of those who were taken hostage by these terrorists, their specific whereabouts and conditions still unknown.
The attacks of October 7th were and continue to be crimes against humanity. Americans looked on in horror as videos emerged of the bloodshed and the destruction. Mothers and fathers across our country, including myself, were overcome with intense emotion. Think about your child, if they were torn away from you, or worse, as so many were.
America is unified in standing with the Israeli hostages and their families. On Sunday, thousands gathered in New York City and called for the immediate, unconditional release of the Israeli hostages. We raised our voices as one, and our message will be heard.
Tonight, I echo that one, simple demand of these devastated families. Not one more day should go by without the safe return of all Israeli hostages from Gaza.
To the families here tonight, whose loved ones were taken on October 7th, I want to express my most sincere and heartfelt sympathy for the suffering that you have bravely endured over these long six months. For those whose loved ones have not yet been returned, we all pray for their safe release.
May God bless all of you. America stands with you and for the safe return of all Israeli hostages.
Bring them home, now.
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