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Like the new one American Congress convened, the 98 hostages Hamas is holding – including seven Americans – should be an immediate priority.
The 118th Congress’s failure to secure the release of American citizens held in Hamas dungeons in Gaza for more than a year will forever remain a stain on its record. The 119th Session would do well to advocate for their release in actions and not just words.
Our newly elected officials must exercise the full power of both chambers to support newly elected President Trump’s sentiments that there will be “hell to pay” if the hostages are not released at his inauguration, and follow through on those who push the defy the president. .
7 US Hostages Still Held by Hamas Terrorists as Families Plead for Their Release: ‘THIS IS URGENT’
From left to right, American hostages held in Gaza: Edan Alexander, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Keith Siegel, Omer Neutra, Judi Weinstein Haggai, Gadi Haggai and Itay Chen (Ruby’s son). (Fox News)
While negotiations with Hamas are largely conducted through the Oval Office, congressional bodies such as the Foreign Affairs, Treasury, Appropriations, and Judiciary committees, as well as individual leaders of the House of Representatives, must play a more crucial role in demonstrating that there is no daylight between the upcoming elections. government and Congress on the subject of American hostages.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will undoubtedly play a key role as the only committee with jurisdiction to deliberate and report on treaties submitted by the President to the Senate for consideration. The committee could directly summon ambassadors involved in the hostage negotiations, such as Qatar, Turkey and Egypt, to ask why American citizens are still being held hostage. It can also create a direct correlation between countries actively seeking long-term strategic defense treaties from the US, as in the case of Saudi Arabia, to actively supporting the release of American hostages.
As for the Judiciary Committee, it plays a critical role in overseeing the Department of Justice and the agencies under the department’s jurisdiction, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.
Representative Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, speaks after becoming Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, October 25, 2023. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Forty-seven U.S. citizens were killed by Hamas in the brutal Oct. 7, 2023 attack, and the judiciary should pursue charges against individuals accused of supporting the killings of Americans abroad hosted by U.S. allies such as Turkey and Qatar .
In addition, the commission should further expand the Anti-Terrorism Act, allowing families of victims to sue commercial entities linked to these crimes in civil court. This would send a clear message: beware of those who think they can unknowingly support terrorist activities. It should also hold the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) accountable and demand that it impose significant sanctions in a timely manner on entities that support terrorist organizations.
CONTACT FEARS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS GET CLOSER TO CONCERNS OF TERROR GROUP REARMED IN GAZA
Surrounded by other relatives of Americans taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of Sagui Dekel-Chen, and Ruby Chen, father of Itay Chen, speak to reporters after a meeting with President Biden at the White House on December 13, 2023. (Julia Nikhinson/for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Senate Appropriations Committee also has a role to play as defined in the Constitution, which requires “appropriations made by law” as a condition for expenditures by the U.S. Treasury Department. In other words: follow the money. Countries seeking US financial assistance must respect US demands without reservation, especially when it comes to the unlawful detention of Americans. In September, for example, the committee approved $1.3 billion in aid to Egypt. Such aid should have been conditional on Cairo destroying all tunnels leading from Egypt to Gaza, which were used to transfer the weapons used to kill and hold American citizens hostage.
The new Congress has a moral and legal obligation to ensure the return of the seven American hostages. What power does a global superpower have if it cannot even secure the release of its citizens from a floundering terrorist group? It must demonstrate its commitment to the House of the People through all its political, financial and legal instruments to help bring the American and all other hostages home.
Ruby’s son, IDF Sergeant Italy Chen was serving along the Gaza border when he was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7. (IDF)
By taking a stronger approach toward countries and commercial entities with a proven ability to influence Hamas, the US will demonstrate its commitment to its citizens and its unwillingness to tolerate terrorism and human rights abuses.
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As we and countless others watch and wait, hopeful for the return of our loved ones, it is imperative that the U.S., with the active support of Congress, act decisively and without delay. I have a dream that next week when I attend the president Trump’s inaugurationhe will say he has secured the release of all American hostages, just as President Reagan did at his inauguration in 1981.
