Tenafly family joins relatives of other Hamas hostages at UN in plea to 'bring them home'
NEW YORK — Families of Israeli American hostages captured by Hamas — including the family of Tenafly High School graduate Edan Alexander — gathered outside the United Nations on Tuesday to demand greater international efforts to secure the return of their loved ones.
"These hostages need to be brought back yesterday — not tomorrow, yesterday," said Liam Zeitchick, who said his cousins and their three children were abducted from a safe room in southern Israel during the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
Alexander, 19, is a solder in the Israeli military and was serving near the southern border with Gaza when he was abducted. He's believed to be among 220 hostages taken by Hamas, according to the Israeli government.
His parents, Adi and Yael Alexander chose not to speak to the media on Tuesday, citing the emotional difficulty of the situation. His sister Mika also attended.
The families were joined by Israel's foreign minister and U.N. ambassador, as well as representatives of human rights organizations, all united in their call for the hostages' safe return.
Dozens of shoes were arranged outside the U.N. as a reminder of the missing, along with posters bearing the names and photos of those kidnapped.
“We are here not only talking about ourselves, we’re here representing 220 families of kids, Holocaust survivors, women, being held hostage,” said Ruby Chen, a New York native whose 19-year-old son Itay Chen was also taken.
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Ronen Neutra, the father of hostage Omer Neutra, who was born and raised in New York, described his son as a peaceful, loving person.
The son joined the Israeli military to defend his country, said his mother, who made a heartfelt plea: "We want our son back." He emphasized the need for the U.N. and the international community to work together to achieve that wish.
Israel's foreign minister, Eli Cohen, told the crowd the United Nations needs to take more significant actions to bring the hostages back.
The crowd chanted "bring them home" and ended the event with a song of hope.
Alexander, who graduated from high school in 2021, is "a great kid," Tenafly Mayor Mark Zinna said in an interview days after the attack. "He’s serving to protect his people ... All they found from him was his flak jacket that he was wearing. We are hoping for some good news."
The borough has many residents with Israeli ties, Zinna noted. "They are strong people, but they are shaken to the core by these events. The Jewish people have survived thousands of years of persecution. These are dark times now. But they will ultimately prevail.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Families of Hamas hostages gather at UN to demand return
