In US House, hostage relatives hit back at 2 lawmakers seen as downplaying loved ones’ plight
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

WASHINGTON — The relatives of some of the American hostages testifying to the US House Foreign Affairs Committee hit back at one Democratic lawmaker who suggests that Israel should not release terrorists in exchange for the hostages, and at a GOP politician who suggests that the US prioritize pressuring Iran.
During a roundtable with seven family members of the Israeli-American hostages on Capitol Hill, Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman recalls the deal Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved in 2011 to release over 1,000 Palestinian security prisoners, including current Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, in exchange for kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
Sherman says it’s “critical that we’re not planting the seeds for another October 7.”
Responding to the Democratic lawmaker, hostage Omer Neutra’s father Ronen notes assurances that the Israeli security establishment has provided to the political leadership that it is prepared to deal with the consequences of any terrorist released.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s father Jon adds that one of Israel’s chief rabbis has issued a ruling stating that Jewish law teaches that saving a life at risk is so important that it must be prioritized, even if it means potentially risking the lives of other people in the future.
In his own remarks during the roundtable, Republican Rep. Joe Wilson largely avoids talking about the plight of the hostages or the deal currently on the table and instead focuses his remarks on Iran, claiming that he’d like to cooperate with the hostages’ families to put pressure on Iran, given that people in the Islamic Republic chant “Death to America and Death to Israel.”
Some of the hostage representatives appear somewhat surprised by Wilson’s remarks.
Neutra responds by agreeing that Iran is indeed a threat that should be dealt with, but explains that freeing the hostages is the more immediate issue that must be prioritized. Once they are released, Israel can turn its focus to other threats.
Polin likens the current situation to hospital triage, saying no good doctor would focus on dealing with patients in a cancer ward upstairs while there are patients bleeding out on the floor in front of him. He recognizes that Netanyahu will likely discuss all of the legitimate threats facing Israel from Iran and its proxies. However, he urges lawmakers to steer the premier toward addressing the more pressing issue, which is the hostages.
The other US lawmakers at the meeting all express more clear-cut solidarity with the hostage families’ effort to advance the deal that is currently on the table, which one of them acknowledges is a “deal with Satan.”
Democratic Rep. Bill Keating agrees that there is no more for Israel to accomplish on the battlefield, saying Netanyahu should accept this “hard-earned agreement.”