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President TrumpBecause of you, I can hug my sister again. After 471 painful days, Romi is finally home, and I owe you my deepest thanks for making possible. You did not help secure this deal – which I had dreamed for 15 months that I had dreamed of – saw my sister smiling again.
Romi is the light of our family. She puts her family first and there is nothing that she will not do for those she loves. That is who she was before October 7, and that is who she stayed, even because of the darkest moments of captivity.
I will never be able to forget the horrors of that day. Romi was only 23 when Hamas terrorists kidnapped her from the Nova festival. In her frightening last moments of freedom, she was on the phone with our mother while trying to flee the site in a vehicle with her friends. Her last words were still haunting us – she said the driver was dead and that her best friend Gaya had been shot and did not respond. She told us that she was shot in her hand and would bleed to death if there were not help soon.
Hamas releases 4 female hostages as part of the Israeli ceases –
Family members of hostages from the fatal attack on 7 October 2023 by Hamas, President Donald Trump greeted in Capital One Arena on the inauguration day of Donald Trump’s second presidential term, in Washington, US, January 20, 2025. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)
471 days we lived in pain, not knowing what she experienced or what happened to her. During those 471 days I lived in a nightmare that should not endure a sister. Every passing hour was filled with thoughts of Romi in captivity and wondered if she was cold, hungry or scared. We did not know the extent of her injuries or if she had received medical care.
President Trump, we are a family of faith – during this horrible test we knew she would return alive to us, and you let that happen. Your strong and decisive statements gave us hope when we needed it the most. When others might have given up, you didn’t do that. When the negotiations seemed impossible, you pushed harder. Your relentless requirement that all hostages have to return home turned out to be crucial when securing the deal that brought my Romi and others back to their families.
Romi Goonen (left) with her sister Yarden (right) before the massacre of October 7 and massive abductions by Hamas terrorists. Romi was recently released after having spent 471 days in captivity. (The Gogagages and Missing Families Forum)
Thank you, President Trump, because you were the catalyst who changed our hope of reality. Your leadership showed that even the most difficult diplomatic challenges can be overcome with sufficient determination.
See how you put the families of hostages on stage during your presidential parade, showed your genuine concern and gave us the feeling, 15 months after 7 October, that we have not forgotten. Looking at the Release of four female hostages – Naama Levy, Daniella Gilboa, Karina Ariev and Liri Albag – filled my heart with so much hope and love. Four more families were reunited. I know exactly how they feel, how many their families have fought for this precious moment, and now 90 more families are waiting for their own reunion.
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Yarden (left) embraces Romi in her release from Gaza. Romi was held hostage for 471 days by Hamas terrorists. (Press Office of the Government)
The moment I hugged Romi for the first time after her release, I felt a joy that I could hardly put into words. That hug would not have been possible without your intervention. Your ability to use diplomatic channels and your dedication to bring all hostages home, even before your inauguration, made the difference between continuous imprisonment and freedom for my sister.
But my family’s work is not ready. There are still 90 hostages in Gaza – Sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, grandparents and young children. Each of them is someone’s romi. Each of them has a family waiting, hoping, praying just like us. None of us who have been reunited with our loved ones can really heal while others stay in captivity. We need your continuous support and influence to bring them home.
President Trump, the deal that you helped secure, not only brought my sister home – it gave us all hope that we can return everyone with strong leadership and determination. Please help us to complete what you started and bring every last hostage home to you, as you declared so powerful. We are dependent on you to ensure that all phases of the deal are filled. Dozens of families deserve what you have given mine – that precious moment to hold their loved ones again.
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Romi Goonen and her mother MeiRAV Leshem Wellen reunited after Romi’s release from Gaza. (Press Office of the Government)
Every time I look at Romi, at her strength and her heart that even this test remained unbroken, I am reminded of what your intervention has made possible. With your help we can convert the prayers of more families into reunions. Only when all 90 hostages are at home can we really start to heal.
Thank you, President Trump, for returning my sister. Please help us to take everyone home. Our hope rests with you.
