[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 197 (Thursday, November 30, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H6037-H6042]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ISRAELI HOSTAGE CRISIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 9, 2023, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) 
is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to lead my 
colleagues in a Special Order hour.
  On October 7, Hamas launched a horrific attack against Israeli 
civilians, murdering over 1,400 people and taking hostage more than 244 
women, children, families, and the elderly. Hamas spared no one.
  The hostage crisis has left hundreds of families desperate and 
searching for answers on the health and safety of their loved ones. 
This past month has been gut-wrenching. I have never felt this 
magnitude of pain, shock, and anger burning in the hearts of the Jewish 
people.
  The intentional, genocidal violence inflicted on Israeli civilians 
and the unconscionable apathy of many nations is a sobering reminder of 
the fact that Israel remains surrounded by hostility and danger.
  For me, and for so many of us, this goes beyond our belief in the 
survival of the Jewish State. It rises far above politics as usual. It 
is a moment in history that begs for humanity, unity, and solidarity 
with Israel.
  I am wrecked by how quickly people in this country have forgotten the 
hostages still being held in Gaza by Hamas. I find myself having to 
reiterate over and over again that Israel was attacked by a terrorist 
organization whose mission is the eradication of Israel and the Jewish 
people.
  We must all remember not only the horrifying statistic of 240 
captured, but who they are as people. These are real human beings. That 
is why we are here tonight.
  We will continue to come to this floor to call attention to all of 
the human beings who are brutally being held captive by Hamas in Gaza, 
until every last one of them is released.
  Each of my colleagues who are joining me will speak about a hostage 
or family of hostages, show their beautiful faces, and remind all of us 
not to forget these victims who are suffering under terrorist 
brutality.
  Thankfully, Israel has welcomed home many children and some women 
this week. I am extremely grateful for President Biden's efforts to 
help make that possible. We cannot and we will not stop until all 
hostages are reunited with their families.
  Tonight, I will be sharing the story of the Bibas family, parents 
Shiri and Yarden, 4-year-old Ariel, and 10-month-old Kfir from Kibbutz 
Nir Oz. Look at this beautiful family.
  Kfir, the youngest hostage, was just 9 months old on October 7. He 
had just learned to crawl when he was abducted. His family is worried 
Kfir doesn't have access to formula. Look at Kfir's beautiful face. How 
could anyone justify kidnapping and taking hostage a 9-month-old.
  As a Jewish mother, I remember when my babies were that age. I 
remember nursing them. I remember holding them in my arms and being 
joyful about their first crawling, their first steps, and looking 
forward to the beauty of their lives unfolding.
  Looking at Kfir and Ariel's faces is heartbreaking and is deeply 
personal. Many of us have had the opportunity to meet with the families 
of these hostages. Yesterday, Hamas claimed that Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir 
were killed in Gaza. I pray with all my heart that that is false. The 
barbarism and cruelty of Hamas knows no bounds.
  The Bibas family would never have been in harm's way in Gaza if Hamas 
did not launch its murderous attack on Israel and take children as 
leverage on October 7.

                              {time}  1830

  On that fateful day, Shiri, Yarden, and their boys were hiding in a 
safe room when militants fired semiautomatic weapons outside the 
family's window as Yarden texted relatives: ``I love you all.'' One-
half hour later, he texted, ``They are coming in,'' just before 
communication ceased.
  Since then, the world has seen a distressing video of Shiri holding 
her two young boys wrapped in a blanket close to her chest while 
surrounded by Hamas militants. Another video depicts Yarden with a head 
injury forcibly being taken away on a motorcycle.
  On Monday, the IDF announced the Bibas family was transferred by 
Hamas to another Palestinian terror group in Gaza as if they were a 
commodity to

[[Page H6038]]

give leverage to another terrorist organization.
  While we know the facts about October 7 and have seen the family's 
pictures and videos, it is important to remember the light and love of 
this family. Shiri is described by loved ones as a woman who touches 
everyone's heart, gentle and full of tenderness, which you can clearly 
see when she was trying to shield her children and the terror on her 
face. She was reborn with her two little sons. They were the light that 
filled her life. Under her loving wing, they were growing up happily.
  Ariel loves anything with wheels and a motor. He dreams of 
superheroes and dresses up as Batman.
  Yarden is a sensitive and loving father and husband. Ofri says that 
while her brother looks big and strong, inside he is the most sensitive 
and gentle person she knows.
  Shiri's cousin Yifat said in an interview about her family: ``I can 
only hope they are together. I hope they didn't separate her from her 
children. I try not to think about the worst. This is the only thing 
that keeps me going. But every day that goes by, we can't go the same 
path anymore. Things need to be changed. Israel is going to be changed 
after this. We are all traumatized, okay? This touched every family 
that is involved in Israel.''
  My heart goes out to Ofri, Yifat, and their whole family. Make no 
mistake, Hamas will be held responsible.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, this is a time of sadness, of wrenching pain, 
of anger, and of determination.
  It is my solemn duty, Mr. Speaker, to speak on this floor today about 
a courageous, talented, and generous young man, Itay Chen. His family 
is in the gallery. I had the opportunity to speak to them just a few 
minutes ago. As any family would be, knowing that their child is at 
great risk and not knowing his present welfare, they are grieving but 
determined.
  Itay is an American-Israeli dual citizen bravely serving his nation 
in the IDF.
  That is probably incorrect. This is his nation. IDF is the land of 
his forebears and of his ancestors and a land that offers sanctuary and 
safety to the Jewish people who have been savaged, hated, killed, and 
maligned for millennia.
  On October 7, Itay was taken hostage during Hamas' brutal criminal 
and savage attack on Israel and on innocent civilians in the land that 
is not contested by anybody.
  Itay is only 19 years old. Mr. Speaker, I have not met Itay, though I 
hope to do so in person in the near future. However, I met with his 
father, Ruby, who is with us in the gallery today, as I said, and his 
mother, Hagit, is joining us, as well.
  Mr. Speaker, everything I have heard about their son has only 
reinforced my resolve to help bring Itay home and the other hostages 
home, as well.
  Itay was raised in New York City, the city in which I was born, Mr. 
Speaker. He was always a precocious kid and a kindhearted young man. 
Like his dad, he is an avid lover of basketball. Unlike his dad, 
however, he is a diehard Lakers fan. So, there is a little conflict in 
the family, but that has not affected the deep love and concern that 
his family has for Itay.
  I want to assure them, Mr. Speaker, that is shared by the 435 Members 
of this body. It is not a partisan issue but a human issue.
  Itay may not have inherited his father's basketball loyalties, Mr. 
Speaker, but he did inherit his New York grit. Itay also developed a 
calling for service at a very young age, participating in Boy Scouts 
and serving his community. That commitment to serving others drove Itay 
to join the IDF.
  I know his experience in captivity, as awful as it is. Very frankly, 
Mr. Speaker, the Red Cross has seen the horror of how these hostages 
are being kept, and they ought to tell the world that truth. 
Nevertheless, we know that his experience will not break his generous 
spirit nor his dedication to the sacred Jewish principle of tikkun 
olam, repairing the world and doing good so that others may do better.
  His parents, Ruby and Hagit; his brothers, Roy and Alon; and the rest 
of his family and friends continue to show tremendous resilience and 
courage. We can do no less in the Congress, no less in the White House, 
and no less in America than make sure we bring this American home alive 
and healthy.
  I think, Mr. Speaker, how I would feel if one of my three daughters 
or one of my three grandchildren or one of my four great-grandchildren 
were in some tunnel or crevice illegally and criminally. I would do 
everything I could to get them back, and we must do everything to get 
back not only Itay but all those pictures that we will see of innocent 
people killed, maimed, and taken hostage by a criminal group we call 
Hamas.
  I want Itay and his loved ones to know that we are going to make sure 
this Congress does everything it can to bring him and the other 
hostages home as quickly as possible. Mr. Speaker, as a symbol of that 
promise, I am wearing a dog tag that Ruby gave me just weeks ago.
  Until they return safely to our shores, we will continue to stand 
strong with their families. Their grief is our grief. Their hope is our 
hope, and that hope grows with every hostage released. It will not end 
until they are all home, safe in the arms of their families and loved 
ones.

  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for taking this 
Special Order and for yielding to me.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Maryland for his poignant remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Gottheimer).
  Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Wasserman Schultz for this 
Special Order.
  I rise tonight, Mr. Speaker, because, on October 7, Hamas terrorists 
attacked Israel and abducted more than 230 people, including many 
Americans. Hamas brutally murdered, raped, burned alive, and 
decapitated more than 1,000 innocent babies, children, women, men, and 
the elderly. It was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the 
Holocaust.
  Mr. Speaker, 40 American citizens were slaughtered by Hamas, and 9 
have been living in horrifying fear at the hands of terrorists for more 
than 50 days. It blows my mind that this isn't talked about every 
single day in this country, that Americans were killed and Americans 
remain hostages.
  Hamas killed Americans, and terrorists still hold American hostages 
inside Gaza. That should be the beginning and end of the argument of 
why we must crush and kill Hamas.
  Thankfully, because of President Biden's resolve and strong 
leadership, groups of hostages have been rescued, including 4-year-old 
Avigail, an American citizen. Nevertheless, as of today, there are 
still 160 hostages.
  One of the eight American hostages is Edan Alexander, a 19-year-old 
from Tenafly in my district in northern New Jersey. You can see him in 
this photo that was shared with me by his family, his mom.
  I have spent time with his family. They are phenomenal people and 
just such wonderful, warm people. His sister is at Tenafly High School. 
After graduating from Tenafly High School in 2022, Edan began serving 
in the Israel Defense Forces.
  Edan is the type of person who would regularly call his mother to 
check in, and his sister considers him to be her best friend. He is 
devoted to his friends and is always there for his family. He swam in 
high school. I have seen pictures of him at the prom. He is just like 
any other American kid we know.
  Since day one, I have been in constant contact with the Alexander 
family and the State Department. Their unimaginable strength in the 
face of unfathomable pain gives us all great hope.
  It is time to get all of these hostages home.
  There are some people who equivocate about Hamas. There should be no 
equivocation. They are designated by the United States of America as a 
foreign terrorist organization, and anybody who has spent time looking 
at images that many of us saw in the videos of barbaric, heinous, and 
unthinkable acts that took place on October 7 knows what Hamas is 
capable of.
  Look what they are doing to innocent Palestinian civilians every 
single day. Are they welcoming them underground and giving them safe 
haven? No. They take no responsibility. They use innocent people as 
human shields. That is what Hamas does.
  Hamas' charter advocates jihad against the Jewish people and the 
elimination of the Jewish state. Israel

[[Page H6039]]

is surrounded by terror groups that want to kill their people, 
including Arab Israelis.
  Israel is and remains the only vibrant, progressive, and inclusive 
democracy in the region. They are our key ally because they are 
critical to our national security and stand up for values that we 
share, strong democratic values. They are key to our fight against 
terror in the region, against Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and 
Hamas.
  In Israel, Arab parties serve in the Knesset; women serve at the 
highest levels of military; and the country remains an oasis for LGBTQ 
people in a region hostile toward the community.
  It sickens me that some people are trying to romanticize Hamas. They 
should be reminded that in Gaza, under Hamas rule, same-sex relations 
are outlawed. Make no mistake, Mr. Speaker, your life would be at risk 
every day if you were openly gay in Gaza or the West Bank.
  Additionally, Hamas' 1988 charter states that Muslim women are 
important because they ``manufacture men.'' Hamas even enforces what 
women wear in public. There is also no law in Gaza that criminalizes 
violence against women within the family, including sexual violence.

                              {time}  1845

  Hamas allows honor killings, the murder of women and girls accused of 
what they call ``immoral sexual conduct.''
  Yet, it took U.N. women a month and a half to recognize that women 
and girls were raped in Israel, and, even then, they still refused to 
mention Hamas.
  Do they not believe the fact that Hamas terrorists committed 
horrifying and unspeakable acts against innocent girls and women, 
including many that we have seen images of? As you see all of these 
hostages being released, you can't imagine what they have been through; 
and I think, of course, of the images we are seeing this evening, those 
who are still hostages.
  Thankfully, President Biden has been phenomenal, as I said, with his 
unwavering support for the State of Israel and the Jewish people. The 
President understands that you have to actually hold terrorists who 
commit atrocities accountable or they will strike again and be 
stronger.
  Hamas terrorists have made it clear that they will not back down and 
are committed to ``a second, third, and fourth'' October 7 against 
Israel.
  Mr. Speaker, let me conclude by saying: We must stand by our key ally 
to get all hostages home, crush the terrorists, and provide 
humanitarian aid to innocent Palestinian civilians being used by Hamas 
as human shields.
  Israel must eliminate every single terrorist responsible for the 
atrocities committed on October 7, and we must get these hostages home.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Debbie for her leadership. I thank all of my 
colleagues for being here this evening.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New 
Jersey for his words.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Trone).
  Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call for the release of 
Abraham Munder, who was taken hostage by Hamas during their brutal 
attack on October 7.
  Mr. Munder is a 78-year-old father and grandfather. Who does that? He 
has been in captivity for 54 days and counting.
  Abraham and his wife, Ruti, lived and raised their family in Kibbutz 
Nir Oz for nearly 60 years. They built a home. They built a life. It is 
all gone. Nir Oz was one of the hardest hit by Hamas on October 7, 
almost a quarter of their population was murdered or kidnapped.
  The Munder family has endured unspeakable hardship and tragedy in 
these weeks. That day, Abraham and Ruti's daughter, Keren, was visiting 
her parents with her son, Ohad. They were all taken hostage by Hamas. 
Ohad spent his ninth birthday as a hostage in Gaza.
  A few weeks ago, I had the solemn honor of meeting with the hostages' 
family members in my Capitol office, including Keren's cousin Meirav 
and her son, Itay.
  All they wanted was for the hostages to be brought home, for the 
world to not forget about their loved ones. Many of us here in Congress 
took these meetings, and we all pledged we would do all we could to 
bring them home.
  For the last 54 days, Abraham has been held separately and was feared 
dead by his family. For the last 54 days, he hasn't known that his son 
was murdered in the attacks. For the last 54 days, he hasn't known that 
his wife and his daughter and grandson survived and were taken hostage.
  As a grandfather and a parent myself, I can't begin to imagine the 
nightmare. By the grace of God, Ruti, Keren, and Ohad were returned to 
Israel on November 24 as part of the negotiated cease-fire and hostage 
exchange.
  Today, we call for Abraham to be brought home. Let him grieve and 
heal with his family. We continue to call for Hamas to release all the 
hostages. We must bring them all home.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his 
participation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, on October 7, the State of Israel was treacherously 
attacked by the terrorist group Hamas. They murdered 1,200 peaceful 
people, many of them at a musical festival, some from Kibbutz Nir Oz 
near the border. They kidnapped 250 people illegally, of course, and 
took them into Gaza.
  We know that some of them have been released in a deal that was made, 
one of them was an American Israeli named Abigail, just 4 years old. 
She was kept together with three other hostages and was given one piece 
of pita, Middle East bread, for the four of them per day. When they 
came home, they had to be deloused. Their hair and their clothes were 
full of lice, and they said that if they had to go to the bathroom, 
they had to wait 2 hours.
  Mr. Speaker, Hamas has said over and over again, they will attack 
over and over again, again and again until Israel is no more. When 
people demand a cease-fire, we should think what we would have thought 
about people demanding a cease-fire 7 or 8 weeks after Pearl Harbor. A 
cease-fire would simply permit Hamas to regroup and to attack Israel 
again and again and again, which they have told us they would do.
  By the way, there had been cease-fires. There have been four cease-
fires, every one of which Hamas broke, including breaking a cease-fire 
on October 7.
  One of the hostages who was taken was a fellow named Danny Elgarat, 
brother of Yitzchak Elgarat. I want to read what Danny said about that.
  He said, ``My name is Danny, Danny Elgarat. Around 10:30 a.m., my 
brother calls me, my brother, Yitzchak Elgarat. He lives in Kibbutz Nir 
Oz. He tells me that his hand is crushed, flooded with blood. He was 
hysterical and stressed, and I didn't quite understand what was going 
on with him, and I tried to guide him how to apply a tourniquet to stop 
the blood.
  ``Suddenly, while I am still trying to guide him, I hear screams in 
the background and shouts. Then Itzik, my brother Itzik, shouts `Danny, 
it's the end. It's the end,' and our call is cut off.
  ``Afterwards we checked the matter of Itzik's phone, the location of 
the phone. We found out that his phone is located in Gaza, the center 
of the city of Gaza.

  ``When he would come back to us, we would sit in the porch with a 
good glass of Whiskey and we would say it was just a bad dream.''
  Mr. Speaker, I pray for Yitzhak and all the remaining hostages who 
were so barbarically taken from their families. Bring them home and 
defeat Hamas so they can't do this again and again and again.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Frankel).
  Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on October 7, the deadliest 
day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Hamas terrorists took 
over 200 hostages from Israel--men, women, children, the elderly, and 
the young, including dozens of IDF soldiers who Hamas has refused to 
release. I want to tell you about one of them.
  That beautiful young lady is Naama Levy. She is the second of four 
children. She is an athlete, loves soccer, the triathlon. During her 
summer in high school, she was a participant in the Hands of Peace 
project in the

[[Page H6040]]

United States working toward peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
  After she graduated high school, like other Israeli youth, she 
completed her coursework to be an observation soldier, and she began 
her military service on October 5 at the Nahal Oz base. It was 2 days 
later, on October 7 at 6:32 a.m., she woke to red alerts and went into 
a safe room with her friends. She then texted her mom. There is the 
text:
  Mom, we are in the safe room. I have never heard anything like this.
  Her mother says:
  What is happening, my darling?
  What her mother then saw on a video loop over and over was her 
daughter being dragged off by her hair by Hamas into the back of a 
truck.
  Her mom lives the same nightmare as the other families of the 
hostages. She thinks about her every day. Where is her daughter now? 
What kind of life is she living? Where does she sleep? Does she have 
water? Does she have air? Is she being treated well?
  Mr. Speaker, look at this young lady, just starting her life with 
hopes and dreams. Let's bring her back.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Norcross).
  Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Debbie and all my colleagues for 
being here today.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of Aviv Atzili. I was 
supposed to be here speaking about him being held hostage by Hamas and 
the need to bring him home safely and without delay.
  Instead, I am sadly here to speak about the memory of Aviv. Aviv was 
a dedicated family man, who just hours ago it was confirmed that he was 
killed by Hamas.
  According to his father-in-law, a New Jerseyan, Aviv bravely fought 
back against terrorists, but they had not heard anything since that day 
in October. The news of his death comes hours after his wife, Liat, an 
American, was released from captivity after 54 days.
  While we are grateful for her release, we mourn the loss of Aviv as 
he leaves behind Liat and her three children.
  We are keeping friends, family, and certainly his community in our 
prayers, but, unfortunately, Aviv's story is one of thousands, many 
that you will hear tonight about American citizens, many who have been 
killed or taken hostage by Hamas terrorists.
  When I traveled with Debbie in a bipartisan group just 2 days after 
the attack when we were in Israel, we heard the stories from the 
families. We listened as two children talked about how their mother and 
father hid in that shelter until they broke through and took her father 
away while she hid, and we are still waiting to hear what happened 
there. It is impossible to try to fathom exactly the pain that they are 
going through, to watch and to hear what happened as they are hiding.
  Many Israelis continue to live that dark day and they are waiting to 
hear about those who have been taken away. It is time to bring them all 
home. The images, the videos of the reuniting children and families 
bring that joy to our heart in such time of pain. It is a reminder that 
we must bring all the remaining hostages home without delay.
  I am proud to join with my colleagues here today to highlight our 
commitment to bring every single one of them home. We cannot and we 
will not be silent until all those held by that terrorist organization 
are reunited with their families.
  As a father and grandfather, it breaks my heart to listen to the pain 
of those families and what they are going through, and I cannot fathom 
what the Atzili family across Israel had to live through since its 
brutal attack.
  Mr. Speaker, Aviv and Liat's story is a reminder that every single 
hostage and Israeli loss is a son, daughter, mother, father, brother, 
or sister. May Aviv's memory be a blessing to his family and to all of 
us.

  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New 
Jersey so much for his words, and I can say it was so incredibly moving 
and meaningful to be able to join him and Mr. Panetta from California 
and Senator Ernst just days after those horrific attacks.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Goldman).
  Mr. GOLDMAN of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from 
Florida for organizing this very important Special Order hour, and I 
thank you, Mr. Speaker, for giving us the time to do this.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to shine a light on the Metzger family 
from Kibbutz Nir Oz, which suffered the unimaginable loss of 38 members 
of the kibbutz, and from where a shocking 75 innocent people were taken 
captive by Hamas. That is almost one-third of the innocent hostages who 
were abducted by Hamas on October 7.
  Two of those abducted were Tamar Metzger, age 78, and her husband 
Yoram, age 80. They are grandparents.
  Mrs. Metzger was released 2 days ago, after 52 days in captivity.
  My family had an opportunity to spend some time with the Metzger's 
son, Nir, and his two children, Ran and Omer, this week in New York.
  According to Nir, the Hamas terrorists, teenagers, dragged his mom 
out of her bathroom, bashed her face in with a rifle, and severely 
injured her knees and legs as they violently took a 78-year-old woman 
to the tunnels of Gaza.

                              {time}  1900

  In Gaza, both Metzgers were kept in a tiny, dark, and moist room in 
an underground tunnel, where there were 12 mattresses on the floor for 
the 2 of them and 10 other hostages from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
  There was essentially nowhere for them to walk or move. They were not 
allowed to speak. If they did speak, the terrorists would beat them. 
This happened to a number of them, including 78-year-old Mrs. Metzger 
at least one time.
  Yoram remains held captive in that dank darkness underground, unable 
to move, unable to speak, under constant fear of being beaten by Hamas 
terrorists.
  We cannot allow another day to go by before these innocent civilians 
are released back to their homes in Israel. We cannot stop pushing and 
pressing Hamas to release them and putting pressure on allies and other 
countries in the Middle East--in Qatar, in Egypt--to put pressure on 
Hamas to release the illegally abducted civilians who are kept captive 
in the tunnels of Gaza without any light, without food, and without any 
ability to move around.
  It is time to bring them home. It is time to bring them all home.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Ms. Stevens), who is the co-chair of the Congressional Task 
Force on American Hostages and Americans Wrongfully Detained Abroad.
  Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Florida for her 
leadership in the House of Representatives during this incredibly 
sobering and trying moment.
  When the Congressional Task Force on American Hostages and Americans 
Wrongfully Detained Abroad was created, we never envisioned a moment 
like the one that we found ourselves in on October 7.
  As Americans, as Members of the House of Representatives, we don't 
just call for the release of the American hostages in Gaza, but we call 
for the release of all the hostages, for what took place on October 7 
was an attack on innocent people. It was an attack on all of humanity, 
an attack on those living freely and peacefully, going about their 
daily business in free society.
  They were attacked by terrorists. They were attacked by those who 
seek to do evil. They were attacked because of what Israel means to the 
world. That cannot stand.
  Behind me is a picture of a woman, Karina Ariev, age 19, a 
surveillance soldier who was taken captive on October 7 when Hamas 
terrorists attacked the base at Nahal Oz, where she was stationed. Her 
family is still eagerly waiting for her release, including her parents 
and her 24-year-old sister, Sasha.
  Sasha's plea for the return of her sister has been heard around the 
world. As I join my colleagues this evening in bringing attention to 
the individuals like Karina and the remaining hostages, it is 
incredibly sobering.
  Sasha's words, which I would like to read, about her beloved sister 
are as follows:
  ``She called us in the morning [of October 7], and she said that the 
base had been raided and attacked. She basically called to tell us 
good-bye. And so, if she won't live, she asked us to continue our life. 
The last message was: `The terrorists, they are here.'

[[Page H6041]]

  ``A few hours later, we identified her in a video. This was a video 
that the terrorists took and then published on their Telegram channels. 
This is our last confirmation that she is alive. She is alive on the 
video, but we don't know what is going on now.
  ``We know that they probably took her. She was in their jeep, with 
other girls. We went to the police to show them the video and to say 
that we identify my sister so they can do something.
  ``The same evening, military officers came to our door, and they said 
to us that my sister, Karina, is held in the hands of a terror 
organization. From this moment, we do not know any other information.
  ``We sit, watch TV, and hope for the best.''
  She continues: ``She is all I have, you know. I love my parents and 
all, but she is the one my heart belongs to. She is the only one I love 
in this world and the only one I want to be with me. She always 
comforts me.
  ``Even [though] she is my little sister, I can always come to her, 
and she will be logical with me and make me come together. She is very 
lovely. She is very innocent. She is very childish, although she is now 
a teenager. She likes to decorate her room. She likes stickers and the 
fluffy dolls of the animals. She loves to paint. She loves cosmetics; 
she is always doing my makeup. I do not understand anything about it.
  ``I remember the day she was born because the gap between us is 5 
years. I was in the hospital, and I saw her. All this life, since the 
moment she was born till now, is just rolling in my head like a film.''
  Hamas, release the hostages now. Bring Karina home to her family.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her 
poignant remarks and her dedication to this cause.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. 
Torres).
  Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from 
Florida for bringing us together to bring awareness and to never forget 
the folks who still need to be returned home.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to demand the immediate release and safe return 
of the remaining hostages in Gaza held by Hamas terrorists.
  I am grateful for President Biden's leadership that has led to the 
release of hostages. However, many remain captive, including 22-year-
old Omer Neutra.
  Omer was born in the United States and is the son of Ronen and Orna 
and now has spent over 50 days in captivity. He grew up in Long Island, 
where he was the regional president of the United Synagogue Youth and 
captain of many sports teams.
  His friends and family describe Omer as a natural-born leader known 
for his compassion, seeing the best in people, and bringing communities 
together, a peaceful soul. His kindness and sense of duty led him to 
defer his future at Binghamton University to defend his grandparents' 
land with the hope of bringing communities together. Putting his future 
on hold to serve others, that is Omer.
  His drive to lead and to serve now puts him last in line to be 
released from captivity. His family, who are with us here this evening, 
have been in agony for the past 7 weeks with no word if Omer is even 
alive. We will continue to pray for him.
  As the mother of an Air Force veteran, I can only imagine their 
agony. This is something that no parent, no mother, no father, no 
grandparent could ever imagine would happen to their loved one.
  I join my colleagues in calling for the immediate release of hostages 
held by Hamas, and I urge the administration to continue to do 
everything in their power to help free hostages like Omer and ensure 
their safe return home.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Manning), the co-chair of the Bipartisan Taskforce 
for Combating Anti-Semitism.
  Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I thank my dear friend, Congresswoman 
Wasserman Schultz, for putting this evening together and for meeting 
with me and so many other of our Members with hostage families for week 
after week.
  On October 7, we woke in horror to Hamas' brutal and despicable 
terrorist attacks, invading Israel, firing rockets at innocent 
civilians, going house to house, murdering babies, executing parents in 
front of their children, and massacring 250 young people at a music 
festival.
  As if killing 1,200 people was not enough, Hamas took an estimated 
240 innocent civilians hostage in Gaza, including elderly women, 
babies, young children, and Holocaust survivors.
  Like many of my colleagues, I have spent the past 7 weeks meeting 
with the families of hostages, hostages including Keith Siegel from 
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and his wife Aviva, who were kidnapped 
from Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
  I met with Keith's sister, Lucy, and his niece, Emily, who spoke so 
lovingly of their family members.
  Keith and Aviva are the parents of four children and the proud 
grandparents of five grandchildren. Keith grew up in my home State of 
North Carolina. He moved to Israel as a young man, where he met Aviva, 
who was born in South Africa and had moved to Israel at the age of 8. 
Keith and Aviva have lived happily in Kibbutz Kfar Aza for 40 years.
  On the morning of October 7, Keith and Aviva were having a quiet day 
at home when they were brutally attacked and abducted by Hamas 
terrorists, who drove them into Gaza in their own car.
  After 51 days of grueling captivity, Aviva was finally released 
earlier this week as part of a temporary cease-fire. Keith is still 
being held hostage. I can't even imagine what Aviva has gone through or 
the agony the entire family is going through waiting for their beloved 
Keith to be freed from captivity.
  I have met with other hostage families and learned about their loved 
ones. I realized that just like the stories of Holocaust survivors, 
each story about a hostage is unique. Each story is heartbreaking 
because each of these hostages has loving family members whose lives 
have been torn apart, who are living the agony of not knowing what has 
become of their loved ones: Are they okay? Are they healthy? Are they 
injured? Are they alive? Will they ever see them again?
  I have heard stories that have brought me to tears, that haunt my 
dreams, and that should make all of us redouble our efforts to bring 
those hostages home. I have met with several of these families so often 
that I feel like they are my own extended family members.
  Over the past few days, we have seen some of the hostages released 
and brought home to their families, and I thank President Biden and 
this administration, along with Israelis and our regional partners who 
have worked to ensure that the agreed-upon hostage exchanges took 
place, but there is still much more work to do.

                              {time}  1915

  There are still more than 130 people being held hostage, and we have 
only begun to learn about the terrible circumstances of their 
captivity. This has told us we have absolutely no time to waste.
  Earlier this week, I was proud to help lead the debate on the House 
floor on a bipartisan resolution that we passed unanimously demanding 
the release of the hostages, but passing a resolution is not enough. We 
must do more.
  Hamas has still not allowed the International Red Cross to visit the 
hostages. This is unacceptable. Our country and countries around the 
world must join together and demand the immediate release of all the 
remaining hostages: the children, the women, the men, the civilians, 
and the soldiers. We have no time to waste.
  I look forward to rejoicing with the Siegel family when Keith is 
finally released, and I look forward to bringing all the hostages home.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina for her remarks, and I yield to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Auchincloss).
  Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Florida for 
her leadership on this issue.
  I rise today to tell the story of Ofer Kalderon. On October 7, the 
deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Ofer, along 
with his children Sahar, 16, and Erez, 12, was taken

[[Page H6042]]

hostage by Hamas from the Nir Oz Kibbutz close to the Gaza Strip.
  During that brutal attack, 29 of Kibbutz Nir Oz's 400 residents were 
murdered, and 80 were taken captive. These are not just numbers. Those 
residents who were murdered were individuals with hopes now 
extinguished, with lives now cut short.
  Those taken hostage are living in unimaginable terror, and their 
families are waiting, hoping for good news and fearing the worst.
  Ofer is a father of four, a carpenter. He loves to build and to 
rebuild engines, to travel, to take family camping trips, to race and 
ride dirt bikes, to help cook Shabbat dinner for his family.
  When asked about Ofer, his family describes his easygoing energy and 
a huge smile.
  We cannot lose sight of the fact that there is a family and a story 
like this one behind each one of these names of those murdered and of 
those taken hostage. Ofer is one of them.
  Ofer's children have thankfully been returned, but their family will 
not be made whole again until Ofer is released, as well. His relatives 
are my constituents, and my office is providing any support that we 
can, but the ultimate responsibility is on Hamas to release Ofer and 
all hostages immediately and unconditionally.
  I urge those terrorists to salvage a shred of humanity by releasing 
him and by releasing all the others held hostage, but I understand also 
that the hopes of finding a shred of humanity within Hamas are close to 
nil, which is why I remind my colleagues here today that we cannot 
handcuff Israel with calls for a unilateral cease-fire as they work to 
achieve their primary shared goal we all have: bringing all of the 
hostages home.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Massachusetts for his remarks, and I yield to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Ryan).
  Mr. RYAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Florida for the 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of my Hudson Valley community to honor 
the memories of the community members we lost on October 7 and to plead 
and to demand the safe return of all of the Hudson Valley families and 
friends still held hostage by Hamas.
  Judith and Gadi Haggai, who you can see behind me, are both dual 
American and Israeli citizens, Judith was born in the Hudson Valley in 
Goshen, New York, in Orange County.
  On October 7, Judith and Gadi were on their usual morning walk around 
Kibbutz Nir Oz when they were ambushed by Hamas, shot, and the last 
location of their phone was traced to Gaza.
  Judith and Gadi are not combatants or soldiers. They are a 
schoolteacher and a musician. They are peace-loving people whose only 
crime was being Jewish.
  Their niece, Ofri, took a one-way flight to the United States, came 
to my office, and made two powerful requests: Never allow our country 
to forget her aunt and her uncle and to fight with everything that we 
have to bring them back. I promised her I would do that, and I stand 
here today to honor that commitment.
  Mr. Speaker, I served 27 months in combat. Our rule was that we never 
leave a fallen sister or brother behind.
  I ask all to not forget Judith and Gadi, and I refuse, and I know my 
fellow Americans refuse to leave behind our Hudson Valley brothers and 
sisters.
  Tragically, the Haggais are not the only Hudson Valley family 
grieving. Maurice Shnaider of Kingston, New York, my hometown, lost his 
sister, Margit, and his brother-in-law, Yosi, in these barbaric 
attacks.
  While we honor their loss, it is impossible to mourn properly while 
the fate of their daughter, Shiri, and their grandsons, Ariel and Kfir, 
hang in the balance--Ariel, 4, Kfir, 10 months old.
  My children, my two boys, Theo and Cameron, are 4 and 1. I cannot 
think every night as I put my boys to bed of anything other than the 
faces of the Bibas family.
  These are not prisoners of war. These are children, babies ripped 
away from their home and taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. This is 
pure, unadulterated evil.
  To the Haggai family, the Bibas family, to their friends, to my whole 
community, to every Jewish person worried about their safety amidst the 
historic rise in anti-Semitism, know this: We are here for you, we see 
you, and we will not give up until every single hostage comes home 
safely.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his 
remarks, and I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta), 
who I also had the privilege of traveling with to Israel in the days 
after the attacks.
  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, Representative Wasserman Schultz and I were 
in the Middle East on October 7 of this year. We were part of a 
congressional delegation trip led by Senator Joni Ernst, and we went 
there to talk about peace. Unfortunately, due to the bloodthirsty 
attack by Hamas, we left the region talking about war.
  Despite the change in the tone of our trip, we became the first 
congressional delegation to visit Israel in the aftermath of the 
October 7 attack.
  While we were in country, though, we met with family members of 
victims of that attack, including David and Noam Peri, a brother and 
sister whose 79-year-old father, Haim Peri, was kidnapped by Hamas from 
his home in the Kibbutz Nir Oz, a peaceful agricultural town whose name 
means meadow of strength in Hebrew, a town whose 400 citizens probably 
could be seen prior to the attack taking to the streets to peacefully 
protest the prime minister's rightwing government.
  On the morning of October 7, that town was anything but peaceful as 
the Hamas attack left it smashed up and smoldering with one in four of 
its residents either murdered or kidnapped.
  That day, Hamas lived up to its definition as a genocidal terrorist 
organization as it attacked Israel to kill Jews, to kill the Jewish 
society, and to kill peace.
  As part of that goal, Hamas attacked Nir Oz and murdered 27 of its 
inhabitants and took 73 hostages to Gaza.
  At the time of the attack, Haim was not only the leader in that 
community, he was also a long-time peace activist for the Israeli-
Palestinian issues.
  He is the type that would drive sick Palestinians from Gaza into 
Israel to be cared for at Israeli hospitals.
  A father of five and grandfather of 13, Haim is now most likely 
isolated in the dungeons of the Gazan tunnels.
  Although Noam Peri describes her father as strong and brave, she also 
admits that he is not young. A metalworker by trade, Haim has had two 
heart surgeries and now has been without his heart medication for 7 
weeks.
  I will never forget when we met them. All that Noam was concerned 
about was that he didn't have his medication to survive.
  Mr. Speaker, it is going to be tough going forward. We hope that the 
hostages are released and that there are more pauses in the conflict.
  We hope to pass and provide meaningful support and humanitarian 
assistance so that Israel can continue to defend itself from the 
existential and constant threat of Hamas.
  Mr. Speaker, although things may never be the same for Nir Oz, for 
Haim, and for the family, we do know that because of its determination 
to survive and succeed, the same determination it has shown for over 75 
years in its existence, Israel will continue to be that meadow of 
strength in the Middle East for peace, for prosperity, and for 
democracy.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his 
poignant words.
  Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.

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