J Street Community Utterly Devastated By Murder of Six Israeli Hostages
September 1, 2024
Our community is horrified, devastated and deeply angered by reports from the IDF of the cold-blooded murder of six Israeli hostages by Hamas shortly before Israeli forces found them. Their loved ones had been hoping for a breakthrough in negotiations which would secure their freedom. Instead our hearts are breaking as they grapple with this impossibly painful news.
Today, we grieve for Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Almog Sarusi, Alex Lobanov and Ori Danino. May their memories be a blessing.
“The cold-blooded depravity of Hamas is sickening. Our hearts break for the friends and families who are enduring unbearable grief, many of whom we’ve come to know as they have fought doggedly for a deal to secure their loved ones’ release. This is the absolute worst outcome,” J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami said.
“No further evidence is needed that a ceasefire deal is the only way to bring any remaining living hostages home alive. It is a complete delinquency of duty to fail to close the ceasefire deal now. No one should suffer the pain these six families are enduring today,” Ben-Ami said. “We reiterate our call on President Biden to move heaven and earth to overcome all remaining obstacles and get this done – and we echo the calls of hostage families who want to see greater public pressure on Netanyahu if he continues to stall a deal.”
J Street is also pained by reports that Israeli security officials “warned Netanyahu and the cabinet ministers about this exact scenario but they wouldn't listen” amid intense debates within the Israeli security cabinet on the need to seal a deal. We stand with the thousands of Israelis headed to the streets to call for an immediate deal.
Over the past year, J Street has developed deep relationships with many hostage families. We have grieved with them and continue to stand in solidarity with the families of the hostages remaining in captivity.
Those grieving today include the parents of 23-year-old American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin – Rachel and Jon – dear friends of many in our own J Street community. With their courageous and tireless advocacy, the Goldberg-Polin family became international symbols of the struggle to free all hostages, and recently delivered a deeply powerful address to the Democratic National Convention calling for an end to exactly this suffering that too many families have endured.
The 330 days since the atrocities of October 7 have brought our community unbearable anguish, which has only been compounded by the intolerable levels of death and devastation this war has wreaked on civilians in Gaza. Seal the deal now.
Read the statement on our website.
