[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 178 (Tuesday, December 3, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H6280-H6281]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING OMER NEUTRA
(Mr. LAWLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute.)
Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, today, we New Yorkers rise with a heavy
heart to honor the memory of Omer Neutra, a 21-year-old from Plainview,
New York.
A grandson of Holocaust survivors, Omer deferred his enrollment at
SUNY Binghamton to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces, driven by a
profound sense of duty and a dream of building peace in the Middle
East.
On October 7, 2023, Omer, serving as a tank commander, was among the
first to respond to Hamas' brutal attack, risking his life to protect
others. Tragically, as we learned this weekend, his life was taken
during this horrific massacre.
Omer's loss is deeply felt by the entire community in New York and
across America. Flags across our State have been flown at half-staff in
his honor, and we all join together in mourning a young man of
extraordinary courage and conviction.
Our deepest condolences are with his parents, Orna and Ronen; his
brother, Daniel; and their entire family.
For the past 423 days, driven by the love of their son, Orna and
Ronen have endured something that no parent should ever have to endure.
With strength, courage, resolve, and hope, they traveled the world,
petitioned world leaders, visited Washington dozens of times, and
fought tirelessly to bring their son home.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak with Orna and Ronen and
offered my profound sorrow for their loss and that of our country. I
told them how much I admire, respect, and love them, for they never
stopped fighting, and I promised them we would never stop fighting to
bring Omer's body home and get them the justice they deserve.
We will bring them home. May Omer's memory always be a blessing, and
may we never forget his sacrifice in the pursuit of peace and in the
defense of democracy.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik),
the esteemed House Republican chair and future U.S. Ambassador to the
United Nations.
Ms. STEFANIK. Mr. Speaker, October 7 marked one of the darkest days
in history, the bloodiest day for the Jewish people since the
Holocaust.
Iranian-backed Hamas committed unspeakable atrocities against
humanity, savagely murdering 1,200 innocent
[[Page H6281]]
Israelis, viciously assaulting and raping women, and taking hundreds of
men, women, babies, and elderly victims as hostages.
On this day of pure evil, Omer Neutra lost his life commanding his
tank platoon in defense of Israel against these barbaric Hamas
terrorists. Omer was an incredibly brave 21-year-old American Israeli
and New York native who grew up on Long Island, loved the Knicks, and
was the captain of his high school basketball team.
After spending a gap year in Israel, Omer joined the IDF in 2020,
putting off his plans to attend SUNY Binghamton. In the IDF, Omer
served as a tank platoon commander on the Gaza border.
As the catastrophic events of Hamas' barbaric October 7 attacks were
unfolding, Omer's parents, Ronen and Orna, immediately began their
advocacy to find their beloved son.
For over 420 days, Ronen and Orna shared Omer's story and brought
attention to the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza. They bravely
kept their hope and light through dozens of meetings with U.S. and
Israeli government officials advocating on behalf of Omer and the other
hostages.
Ronen and Orna's strength and resilience for over 400 days truly
embodies the light that Israel stands for and that Hamas tried and
failed to extinguish. It has never been more important to support our
most precious ally in its fight for survival and let the world know
that this is not Israel's fight alone, and that the 45th and 47th
President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, has made crystal
clear: If the hostages are not released, there will be all hell to pay.
Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr.
Meeks), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, my heart goes out to Omer's family. October
7, 2023, was a beautiful, clear day. Omer, a 21-year-old, who decided
that he was going to make a difference and have peace in the Middle
East, was just there on duty and then being called because of the
horrific attack across the border of Gaza into Israel.
At 21 years old, he put everything aside, never thought on that
morning when he woke up that he would have to go into battle to try to
save lives because a vicious attack of pure hate was taking place.
He lost his life, an American-Israeli citizen killed, a tank platoon
commander in the IDF. I can't even imagine the strength and the pain
that his family, his mother and his father, Ronen and Orna, have felt
and continue to feel.
We stand here united today, Democrats and Republicans, Members and
people of the United States of America saying that we will stand
together. We will be with you. We will continue to pray, for we must
make sure that his life was not given and taken in vain.
Together, we must make sure that his name is forever, as well as all
who lost their lives and those who need to be returned home, because
all hostages should be returned home immediately, and strive and move
for peace in the Middle East.
We cannot stop. We cannot forget. We have got to lock arms hand in
hand until there is peace, and a 21-year-old who had a dream is not
deferred, a 21-year-old who just wanted peace is not stopped.
We will stand together as American citizens to say we will stop evil
that is happening and that happened on that day of October 7.
Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr.
Suozzi), my colleague who represents the Neutra family as a Member of
Congress.
Mr. SUOZZI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Lawler, and I thank all of my
colleagues for standing here together today.
Mr. Speaker, 8 years ago, I met a 14-year-old Solomon Schechter
School freshman at the local Salute to Israel event at the Sid Jacobson
JCC on Long Island. His name was Omer Neutra.
When I met Omer's parents, Ronen and Orna Neutra, in December of
2023, they described Omer as a likable, big, goofy kid who excelled in
sports and who other kids liked to be around.
After graduating from the Solomon Schechter School, Omer, whose
grandparents were Holocaust survivors, decided before going to
Binghamton University, he would join the Israel Defense Forces. Instead
of staying for just a year, he worked his way up to become a tank
commander.
On October 7, 2023, Omer was the victim of the surprise attack by the
Hamas terrorists. For over 420 days, Omer's parents and his brother,
Daniel, have done everything they can with the love and support of
hundreds of thousands of others to free their son from captivity. Every
day, they soldiered on through alternating deep sorrow and brief bursts
of hopefulness.
They went from crushing anxiety to steely determination. Just a few
days ago we learned that this young man, this bright light, this
courageous idealist, made the ultimate sacrifice. Omer had not been
alive for the past 423 days. He was murdered on October 7.
Now all of his family's alternating emotions have been replaced with
deep grief. We who know them grieve with them. We thank God for the
gift of his life. We pray for the Neutras, and tonight we rededicate
ourselves to Omer's just cause.
We resolve to move forward, guided by his example, his courage, and
his memory, and may his memory be a blessing.
``The People of Israel Live,'' ``Am Yisrael Chai.''
Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Members join me for a brief
moment of silence in honor of Omer Neutra.
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