Earlier this week, President Joe Biden met with the families of Americans being held captive by Hamas. During this emotional
meeting, President Biden offered support and discussed his continued efforts to secure the safe return of every hostage.
Currently, 4 out of the 7 American hostages are believed to be alive and 3 have died in Gaza.
The Biden-Harris Administration has been trying for months to get a ceasefire and hostage deal in the Israel-Hamas war.
During Wednesday's White House Briefing, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that Biden will keep working
tirelessly to bring the hostages home for the rest of his time in office. In light of the recent election, Sullivan went on to say,
"Yes, of course we're prepared to work with the incoming team in common cause, on a bipartisan basis, to do everything in our
collective American power to secure the release of the hostages, both living and deceased."
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, some of the hostage families are looking to his reputation as a "dealmaker" to see if he can accomplish what the Biden administration has yet to. Ruby Chen, whose 19-year-old son was tragically murdered by Hamas on October 7, 2023, expressed hope that Trump’s “America First” stance might lead to tangible results. Chen said, “[Trump] cares about the topic of American hostages, and now it’s time to see his recommitment to the topic, and have American hostages come out before January 20.” However, Chen and other hostage families have not yet met with Trump or Senator JD Vance, despite their repeated visits to Washington, D.C., advocating for their loved ones.
In a recent PBS interview, Nick Schifrin spoke with Dalia Cusnir, a relative of a hostage, who expressed cautious optimism that the transition in U.S. leadership could spark progress. Cusnir noted that Trump has said that any hope for a ceasefire and an end to the conflict must begin with the release of hostages. Still, she acknowledged that both the Biden and Trump administrations must work together to bring about a resolution quickly. She emphasized, “For us, the family of hostages, of course, first, we need to see our loved ones, but we also want to bring a time of healing for the Palestinians in Gaza. They are also being held by Hamas.”
As the U.S. transitions to a new administration, the question remains: Can both political parties unite to secure the release of hostages and bring an end to this crisis? While the situation is complex and fraught with political and diplomatic challenges, one thing is clear— the lives of these hostages should remain a top priority for any administration, and the families are hoping for results, no matter the political landscape.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/12/politics/hostage-families-israel-hamas-trump/index.html
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/11/13/readout-of-president-bidens-meeting-with-families-of-americans-taken-hostage-by-hamas/
6 comments:
While I hope for the release of the American hostages in Gaza, I don't think that January 20th is a realistic deadline for freeing them. Biden's administration has attempted to place conditions on, and stop the Israeli military from worsening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but Trump has said that the humanitarian crisis will not be his primary concern. He has stated that he is committed to Israel's safety by giving them weapons and aid, and whose administration matches the far-right Likud party currently governing Israel. As he will likely remove the restrictions on Israel's military for US aid, the violence in Gaza will intensify, and humanitarian crisis worsen. If this happens, I find it extremely unlikely that Trump will be able to barter a cease-fire and hostage exchange. Also, just because Donald Trump is viewed as a "dealmaker", does not mean that he has the ability to end a war just with his presence. This is also a problem I find with his claims about being able to end the Russia-Ukraine war within his first day of presidency, as no one has for the last 2 years.
I remember when Reagan freed the hostages right after Jimmy Carter's presidency ended. Without saying anything regarding the conspiracy that Reagan struck a deal, I wonder whether Gaza/Israel will actually act differently towards Trump given that much of his appeal is that he is supposedly strong and scares enemies off and it's a no-war time period during his first presidency. I doubt that this is the case, and wonder how this will play out. Will Trump supporters realize this lie? Global politics is not about being strong and scary, it's effective bureaucracy and collaboration.
I completely agree with your message on Trump worsening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Under Trump's first term, the U.S. saw a historic increase in military spending, which is parroted by the republican/conservative platform he operates. With Trump in office, what is left of the Gaza Strip will be decimated by the predicted increase in supply of military weapons to Israel. Similarly, In Ukraine and Russia, given the North Korean Troops in the area;, Biden's approval of new missiles to be used for Ukraine, Trump's statements regarding the U.S. support of Ukraine in the presidential debate + strange relationship with Putin/KJU, one must wonder what foreign affairs will look like with him in office; and what his chief of staff has warned against, it will be ugly, and out of control. (Note: Biden's approval of missiles in Ukraine has been widely criticized by the right)
While I remain hopeful, I don't think Trump will be able to secure the release of all hostages by January 20th, given the complexity of the situation. However, it will be interesting to see how Trump navigates this crisis, especially since one of his key campaign promises was his ability to avoid new wars and resolve major conflicts. This is a real opportunity for him to demonstrate his “dealmaker” skills on an international stage.
At the same time, I appreciate Biden's commitment and effort to prioritize the hostages' safety. Still, I feel like his administration’s approach has fallen short in some ways, particularly with the high number of civilian casualties and the apparent lack of progress toward a peace deal or cease-fire. It raises questions about whether either administration can effectively balance humanitarian needs with diplomatic strategy. The situation remains incredibly complex, and I hope both parties can work together to make progress in this critical time.
Conversations about Hamas cease-fire and releasing hostages have been coming up after Trump made a social media post about how he will be “ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East” if the hostages are not released by January 20th. Although people say that these are just conversations and there is no evidence that Hamas will actually release them, I think this is one of the few positive things about Trump. His exaggerated and authoritative power intimidates other countries like Hamas to be able to serve for justice.
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