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As new US Congress With this meeting underway, the 98 hostages held by Hamas – including seven Americans – must become an immediate priority.
The fact that the 118th Congress failed to secure the release of American citizens held for more than a year in Hamas cells in Gaza will forever remain a stain on its record. It would be better for the 119th session to call for their release through actions and not just words.
Newly elected officials should exercise the full authority of both chambers to support President-elect Trump's sentiments that there will be “hell to pay” if hostages are not released by his inauguration and pursue those who challenge the president's request. .
From left to right, American hostages held in Gaza: Aidan Alexander, Sagi Dekel Chen, Keith Siegel, Omar Neutra, Judy Weinstein Hajji, Gadi Hajji and Itai Chen (Ruby's son). (Fox News)
While negotiations with Hamas mostly flow through the Oval Office, congressional bodies such as the Foreign Affairs, Finance, Appropriations and Judiciary committees, as well as individual House leaders, must play a more important role in demonstrating that there is no difference between the two incoming candidates. Administration and Congress on the issue of American hostages.
The Senate Foreign Affairs Committee will undoubtedly play a key role as the only committee with the authority to deliberate and report on treaties that the President submits to the Senate for consideration. The committee could directly subpoena ambassadors participating in hostage negotiations, such as those representing Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt, to demand to know why American citizens continue to be held hostage. It could also create a direct relationship between countries that actively pursue long-term strategic defense treaties with the United States, such as in Saudi Arabia, to effectively support the release of American hostages.
As for the Judiciary Committee, it has a critical role in providing oversight over the Department of Justice and the agencies under the department's authority, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.
Rep. Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, speaks after becoming Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, October 25, 2023. (Ting Xin/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Forty-seven American citizens were killed by Hamas during the brutal attack on October 7, 2023, and the judiciary must implement indictments against individuals accused of supporting the killing of Americans abroad and hosted by US allies such as Turkey and Qatar.
Furthermore, the Committee should expand the scope of the anti-terrorism law, to enable families of victims to sue business entities associated with these crimes before a civil court. This would send a clear message: beware of those who believe they can support terrorist activities without being noticed. It should also hold OFAC accountable and demand that it impose significant and timely sanctions on entities that support terrorist organizations.
Surrounded by other family members of Americans held hostage by Hamas during the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of Sagi Dekel-Chen, and Robbie Chen, father of Itai Chen, speak to reporters after a meeting with President Biden at the White House on the 13th. December 2023. (Julia Nickinson/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Senate Appropriations Committee It also has a role to play as defined in the Constitution, which requires “appropriations by law” as a condition of expenditures by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In other words: follow the money. Countries seeking US financial assistance must unreservedly respect US demands, especially regarding the issue of illegal detention of Americans. For example, in September 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 being used to transport the same weapons used to kill American citizens and hold them 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 own citizens from a faltering terrorist group? It must demonstrate its commitment in the People's Assembly through all its political, financial and judicial tools in order to help bring the American and all other hostages home.
Ruby's son, IDF Sergeant Italia Chen, was serving along the Gaza border when he was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7. (IDF)
By adopting a more forceful approach in dealing with countries and commercial entities that have demonstrated their ability to influence Hamas, the United States will demonstrate its commitment to its citizens and its unwillingness to tolerate terrorism and human rights abuses.
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While we and countless others watch and wait, hoping for the return of our loved ones, it is imperative that the United States, with the active support of Congress, act decisively and without delay. I have a dream that next week, when the president comes Trump's inaugurationHe will say that he secured the release of all American hostages, just as President Reagan did at his 1981 inauguration.
