Ronen and Orna Neutra the parents of 22-year-old Omer Neutra, who Hamas has held captive for 328 days – penned an op-ed this week for Newsweek on the importance of working across the aisle to secure their son’s release. This op-ed comes after the Neutras advocated for the release of the 108 remaining hostages at the Democratic National Convention last week and spoke at the Republican National Convention the month before.
Omer is an American from Plainview, New York, who was taken hostage while serving in the Israeli Defense Force on October 7. In their op-ed, Ronen and Orna reflect on how much has changed since that day, writing, “We have attended the State of the Union address and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress. We took part in the Democratic National Convention and spoke at the Republican National Convention the month before. We've met with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, spoken with former President Donald Trump on the phone, and we've gotten to know dozens of government officials and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle.”
While October 7 might have thrown the Neutras head-first into the world of politics, they insist their message has nothing to do with politics: “We're showing up where politics happen, but we're no more political than we were before Oct. 7. Our message has stayed the same—it is one of parents appealing to human beings. For nearly a year, we have traveled the world, imploring all governments, all leaders, all people to help us bring our son and the other remaining hostages, hailing from more than 20 countries and five different religions, home.”
They end their op-ed with an emotional plea to U.S. leaders: “resist the pull of politics, work across the aisle, and treat the situation Gaza like the bipartisan humanitarian issue it is.” They conclude by writing, “We've met with everyone from dignitaries to celebrities since Oct. 7, but there is only one person we're longing to reunite with: our son Omer at the Gaza border. We dream of the day we can leave politics behind and resume the life we cherished—at home, with all our children near us, safe, sound, and free.”