Follow us on social

Families of American-Israeli hostages blast Netanyahu

Families of American-Israeli hostages blast Netanyahu

They accuse him of prolonging war while their loved ones languish

Reporting | QiOSK

The families of the eight American citizens still held hostage in Gaza blasted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday for not striking a ceasefire deal that would free their family members, and urged members of Congress to pressure the Israeli leader on this front while he was here in town.

The family members were speaking at a roundtable at the House Foreign Affairs Committee in advance of Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on Wednesday.

Some of the hostages’ relatives are based in Israel and traveled to Washington with Netanyahu earlier this week. The group also included the parents of Itay Chen, who was killed on October 7 and whose body is being held by Hamas; and Aviva Siegel, who was released during the hostage deal in November, and whose husband remains in captivity.

“It is time now to end this war, to end our suffering, and along the way, to end the suffering of millions in Gaza,” said Jonathan Dekel-Chen, the father of one of the hostages, who lives in Israel but refused to travel with Netanyahu . “I implore Democrats and Republicans to do all that you can to let our Prime Minister know that the U.S. knows that the time is now.”

While the Biden administration has said that Israel has agreed to an “enduring” ceasefire plan, the families present accused Netanyahu of keeping the war going for political purposes and said he was not devoting enough energy to securing the hostage release.

“Last night, we met Prime Minister Netanyahu again. I have to say the urgency of the matter did not seem to resonate with him,” said Daniel Neutra, whose brother is being held hostage by Hamas.

“We had hoped that he would come to Washington to announce that he had sealed the deal to bring our kids home,” said Adi Alexander, father of Edan Alexander. “Anything short of it will be a total failure for us.”

“There’s a myth out there that there is a better deal somewhere if Israel just delays a little longer, fights a little further,” added Dekel-Chen.

Netanyahu has said that there will be no durable ceasefire until Hamas’ military and governing capabilities are destroyed.

But Dekel-Chen countered that “All of the Israeli security apparatus and intelligence services have clearly stated that conditions are right today to complete the deal that’s on the table. Any true friend of Israel today must pressure our Prime Minister to finish the deal now.” President Joe Biden has also said that Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out a large-scale attack on Israel.

He went on to say that there was no reason to believe continuing the military operation could free their loved ones.

“There is no proof of concept,“ Dekel-Chen said. “There is no military force on earth that knows how to get hostages out from under ground. Whatever has been tried has not been successful, it's been ten months.”

The witnesses also blamed Netanyahu for using other external threats from Hezbollah or Iran as a pretense for keeping the war going, instead of focusing on the more immediate issue of ending the war in Gaza.

“I am sure that Mr. Netanyahu is going to speak to the joint session tomorrow about the credible, real threats to the state of Israel,” said Jon Polin, father of Hersh Goldberg-Polin . “Now is not the time to go up to the cancer ward and deal with the sick people who need treatment, when there are people dying right now on the floor of your hospital. (...) The single event that can happen right now that can be most influential in releasing pressure across all fronts in the Middle East region is bring home to hostages.”

Some of the family members also noted that the recent news of Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 election meant that he could focus on doing the right thing in the Middle East, divorced from U.S. domestic politics.

“Part of your legacy, Mr. President, is that you get the credit for saving the lives of as many of these hostages as possible and doing the thing that releases the most pressure in the region,” by pushing Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire agreement, said Polin.

A report from shortly after the roundtable said that Biden would invite the families to his meeting with Netanyahu on Thursday.


Relatives of American-Israeli hostages speak at roundtable on Tuesday. (Photo: C-SPAN)

Reporting | QiOSK
iraqi protests iran israel
Top photo credit: Iraqi Shi'ite Muslims hold a cutout of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they attend a protest against Israeli strikes on Iran, in Baghdad, Iraq, June 16, 2025. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad

Iraq on razor's edge between Iran and US interests in new war

Middle East

As Israeli jets and Iranian rockets streak across the Middle Eastern skies, Iraq finds itself caught squarely in the crossfire.

With regional titans clashing above its head, Iraq’s fragile and hard-won stability, painstakingly rebuilt over decades of conflict, now hangs precariously in the balance. Washington’s own tacit acknowledgement of Iraq’s vulnerable position was laid bare by its decision to partially evacuate embassy personnel in Iraq and allow military dependents to leave the region.

This withdrawal, prompted by intelligence indicating Israeli preparations for long-range strikes, highlighted that Iraq’s airspace would be an unwitting corridor for Israeli and Iranian operations.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani is now caught in a complicated bind, attempting to uphold Iraq’s security partnership with the United States while simultaneously facing intense domestic pressure from powerful, Iran-aligned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) factions. These groups, emboldened by the Israel-Iran clash, have intensified their calls for American troop withdrawal and threaten renewed attacks against U.S. personnel, viewing them as legitimate targets and enablers of Israeli aggression.

keep readingShow less
George Bush mission accomplished
This file photo shows Bush delivering a speech to crew aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, as the carrier steamed toward San Diego, California on May 1, 2003. via REUTERS

Déjà coup: Iran war activates regime change dead-enders

Washington Politics

By now you’ve likely seen the viral video of an Iranian television reporter fleeing off-screen as Israel bombed the TV station where she was recording live. As the Quincy Institute’s Adam Weinstein quickly pointed out, Israel's attack on the broadcasting facility is directly out of the regime change playbook, “meant to shake public confidence in the Iranian government's ability to protect itself” and by implication, Iran’s citizenry.

Indeed, in the United States there is a steady drumbeat of media figures and legislators who have been loudly championing Israel’s apparent desire to overthrow the regime of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

keep readingShow less
Ukraine NATO
Top photo credit: August 2024 -- Led by the United Kingdom and involving trainers from 12 other countries, Operation Interflex gives Ukrainian recruits a five-week crash course in everything from infantry tactics to combat first aid, preparing them to defend their homeland. . (NATO/Flickr)

How NATO military doctrine failed Ukraine on the battlefield

Europe

The war in Ukraine has raged for over three years. As ceasefire talks loom, major European NATO members including Germany, UK, France and Denmark are planning to protect any future armistice by sending their troops as peacekeepers in a “Coalition of the Willing.”

Their goal is to deter the Russians from restarting the war. Unfortunately, deterrence comes from combat capability. Without it there is no deterrence at all. That capability is in question. NATO equipment and doctrine was developed for the Cold War and tested in the mountains of Afghanistan. It has not been tested in conventional war and needs to absorb lessons from the Ukraine war to offer a military option to the European elites, independent of the United States.

keep readingShow less

LATEST

QIOSK

Newsletter

Subscribe now to our weekly round-up and don't miss a beat with your favorite RS contributors and reporters, as well as staff analysis, opinion, and news promoting a positive, non-partisan vision of U.S. foreign policy.