Disclaimer: the views expressed here are solely those of
the author, weekly Judean Rose columnist Varda Meyers Epstein.
Three Americans held hostage in Russia were released a week
ago today. While you may not have been familiar with the name Alsu Kurmasheva,
a journalist with dual US/Russian citizenship, it is almost certain you knew the
names of the other two now-freed hostages: Paul Whelan, and Even Gershkovich. But
how many of you are familiar with the names of the 8 American citizens still
held hostage in Gaza?
- Edan Alexander
- Itay Chen HY"D
- Sagui Dekel-Chen
- Hersh Goldberg-Polin
- Gadi Haggai HY"D
- Judith Weinstein Haggai HY"D
- Omer Neutra
- Keith Siegel
Some of the eight are no longer alive, their dead bodies
held captive by Hamas and their families denied the chance to bury their loved ones.
Others still live in daily torment. Their names, if not their bodies, need to live
in our minds, and in the minds of the public. In that task, the world has
failed them.
One exception that proves the rule is the name “Hersh Goldberg-Polin,” thanks
to the intensive efforts of his parents, Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin. The two
have somehow managed to keep their son’s name front and center; not an easy
feat in our ever-changing news cycles. The campaign on behalf of their son has made
a difference, not least of all because Rachel Goldberg is both appealing and a
gifted speaker. She appears fragile, yet we admire her strength and wonder how
she manages to keep going, day after day. We can tell she is living a
nightmare, and her pleas for her son’s release hit home.
Photos have also helped to keep Hersh and his name alive in
our minds, in particular, that of Rachel stooping to peek at the camera over
Hersh’s shoulder as he sits in a lawn chair. Other visual reminders of Hersh
would have to include the eye-catching bright yellow and black posters emblazoned
with Hersh’s face and name that sprang up in my town early on. We might not yet
have known the details of how it happened; how Hersh was thrown into the back
of a truck with a bloody stump where his arm used to be. But we knew he was an
American hostage in Gaza and we knew his name: Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
Another effective visual reminder of Hersh’s absence is the
bit of masking tape affixed to Rachel’s clothing. Replenished daily, the piece
of tape is marked with the number of days Hersh has been held in captivity,
that number written in ballpoint pen by a yearning mother’s hand. When you see
Rachel Goldberg’s Instagram posts, it’s that piece of tape that catches your
eye. It’s poignant; a real punch to the gut to see it. Rachel Goldberg
literally wears her pain on her shirt, and for her followers, the strip of tape
is a stark, daily reminder of just how long this nightmare has lasted for her
son, Hersh. All of these things, the posters, the photos, the piece of tape,
the soft-spoken, quietly-suffering mother have served to cement the name “Hersh
Goldberg-Polin,” firmly in our minds.
But what about the other 7 American captives? Do you know
their names like you know Hersh’s name? Have you heard their names spoken by
the American president and/or his administration? Is the American media keeping
their names alive in your mind?
If not, why not? They managed to make you remember the names
“Paul Whelan” and “Evan Gershkovich,” so why not follow the same recipe on
behalf of the American hostages in Gaza? After all, politicians and
journalists, if they know anything, know branding. They know how to use a name
to their advantage. And they know how to keep a name quiet when it is controversial,
harmful, or distasteful.
Take President Biden’s triumphant remarks on the release of the three Americans wrongfully detained by Russia. In those remarks, the president managed to get in a dig at his opponent, Donald J. Trump, with a false accusation regarding the number of Americans held since before he took office. What Joe Biden didn’t do, is get the names of the Gaza hostages out there to the American people:
I will not stop working until every American wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world is reunited with their family. My Administration has now brought home over 70 such Americans, many of whom were in captivity since before I took office. Still, too many families are suffering and separated from their loved ones, and I have no higher priority as President than bringing those Americans home.
Today, we celebrate the return of Paul, Evan, Alsu, and Vladimir, and rejoice with their families. We remember all those still wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world. And reaffirm our pledge to their families: We see you. We are with you. And we will never stop working to bring your loved ones home where they belong.
Think of the impact it would have had, had Biden slowly recited
the names of the hostages in the course of his speech, pausing for effect
between each name. One small edit was all it needed:
We see you. We are with you. We remember our eight hostages in Gaza:
- Edan Alexander
- Itay Chen HY"D
- Sagui Dekel-Chen
- Hersh Goldberg-Polin
- Gadi Haggai HY"D
- Judith Weinstein Haggai HY"D
- Omer Neutra
- Keith Siegel
And we will never stop working to bring your loved ones home where they belong.
We should all say their names, of course, but in particular,
the American president should be saying their names at every possible occasion.
Because they are Americans. And because the president is currently working to
negotiate a Gaza ceasefire—it’s something that is happening right now.
Which makes it totally appropriate to mention their names:
- Edan Alexander
- Itay Chen HY"D
- Sagui Dekel-Chen
- Hersh Goldberg-Polin
- Gadi Haggai HY"D
- Judith Weinstein Haggai HY"D
- Omer Neutra
- Keith Siegel
In fact, this writer could not find a single instance when
Biden recited the names of these eight. He refers to them only as “hostages.”
Of course Biden had no trouble using the release of Natalie
and Judith Ranaan and little Avigael Idan to his advantage. Biden said
THEIR names aplenty. But not these eight—those Americans still in the clutches
of Hamas. Not even in his statement marking 100
days of captivity for the hostages of Gaza:
Today, we mark a devastating and tragic milestone—100 days of captivity for the more than 100 innocent people, including as many as 6 Americans, who are still held being hostage by Hamas in Gaza. For 100 days, they have existed in fear for their lives, not knowing what tomorrow will bring. For 100 days, their families have lived in agony, praying for the safe return of their loved ones. And for each of those 100 days, the hostages and their families have been at the forefront of my mind as my national security team and I have worked non-stop to try to secure their freedom.
Since Hamas brutally attacked Israel on October 7, my Administration has pursued aggressive diplomacy to bring the hostages home. We saw the first results of that effort late October, when two Americans were reunited with their loved ones. In November, working in close coordination with Qatar, Egypt, and Israel, we brokered a seven day pause in fighting that resulted in the release of 105 hostages—including a 4-year-old American child—and allowed us to surge additional vital humanitarian aid into Gaza. I was deeply engaged to secure, sustain, and extend that deal. Sadly, Hamas walked away after just one week. But the United States and our partners have not given up. Secretary Blinken was back in the region this past week seeking a path forward for a deal to free all those still being held. I look forward to maintaining close contact with my counterparts in Qatar, Egypt, and Israel to return all hostages home and back to their families.
I will never forget the grief and the suffering I have heard in my meetings with the families of the American hostages. No one should have to endure even one day of what they have gone through, much less 100. On this terrible day, I again reaffirm my pledge to all the hostages and their families—we are with you. We will never stop working to bring Americans home.
That is the sum total of Biden’s statement, leaving the eight hostages to remain nameless before the public. How hard would it have been to include those names? It would have made so much sense to name the hostages before the public as the president of the United States.
But it’s no wonder Biden keeps a
low profile when it comes to the hostages of Gaza. With the left ascendant, the
Jews are in bad odor. Which renders Jewish hostages unmentionable not only by
the president, but by the mainstream media as well.
Even the word “hostage” is a no-no if one is to go by
today’s CNN homepage or Middle East section. Ditto
today’s NY Times front page and world section. The word “hostage”
is nowhere to be found, let alone those eight precious names:
- Edan Alexander
- Itay Chen HY"D
- Sagui Dekel-Chen
- Hersh Goldberg-Polin
- Gadi Haggai HY"D
- Judith Weinstein Haggai HY"D
- Omer Neutra
- Keith Siegel
Biden has done a very thorough job of keeping the names of
the American hostages under wraps, and the media has fallen right in line. With
Kamala Harris waiting in the wings, it can only get worse. Meantime, the dire situation
of the hostages drags on.
There doesn't seem to be much if anything we can do about the hateful attitudes of
those who strive to keep the hostages’ names out of sight and out of mind. They're antisemites; their hate isn’t logical and there’s nothing you can do about
that. What you can do is what they won’t do:
Say their names.
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| Edan Alexander |
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| Itay Chen HY"D |
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| Sagui Dekel-Chen |
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| Hersh Goldberg-Polin |
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| Gadi Haggai HY"D |
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| Judith Weinstein Haggai HY"D |
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| Omer Neutra |
 |
| Keith Siegel |
Note: Edited after sharp reader ahad_ha_amoratsim suggested that Z"L should be changed to HY"D, wherever it appears. And he is correct. Z"L means "May his/her memory be a blessing," while HY"D means "May God avenge his/her blood."
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