300 days later, Netanyahu must be brave and bold for hostages

I met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu three times last week. After seven days of reflection on those encounters and the 300-day marker of the Oct. 7 massacre, there is a strong feeling I just can’t shake.

The first of several meetings was a deeply personal encounter I cannot easily forget. The prime minister invited American hostage families to meet with him and his delegation of Israeli hostage families. During that first encounter, I spoke to him directly in English, even though the meeting was conducted in Hebrew. 

I then watched as he delivered a powerful speech to Congress. He passionately framed the conflict with Hamas as a clash between civilization and barbarism, a struggle for freedom against tyrannical ideologies. 

He honored diverse, selfless Israelis and thanked former President Donald Trump for the Abraham Accords, a framework that we all hope we can go back to after this conflict is over. Netanyahu also lauded President Biden for his unwavering support and defense of Israel, a country he demonstrated he cares about in actions, not only in words. 

The hostage families present in that chamber hung on his every word. These families all noticed that conspicuously absent from his speech was any significant mention of the hostages. There was no talk of a hostage deal, no acknowledgment of the suffering endured by the hostages or their families.

After his address, we met the prime minister, his wife Sarah and his son Yair at Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) reception. Sarah’s bright orange suit was a poignant tribute to the Bibas boys, ages one and four, who have been held hostage in Gaza for 300 days. 

The next day, we met Netanyahu at the White House alongside Biden. This was the culmination of the persistent advocacy of the American hostage families who have engaged with U.S. leadership countless times over these long nine months.

It is no secret that the framework for a deal exists, and in principle is already agreed to. Issues remain, but they are not insurmountable. 

Biden laid out the plan on May 31 representing work that had been completed months before. Yet while we previously heard that Hamas was not ready to make a deal, it now appears that Netanyahu is the one hesitating.

I believed, like many others, that the prime minister would announce a deal to bring home the remaining 120 hostages when he came to our nation’s capital. For 300 days, we have maintained a bipartisan approach in our advocacy. 

At the recent Republican National Convention, 22-year-old Omer Neutra’s parents put their broken hearts on display as they addressed the 20,000 Republican Americans who chanted, “Bring them home.” 

That day, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) reaffirmed their support. Former President Trump, who also met with Netanyahu last week, has stated multiple times that it is time to make a deal to end the conflict and bring the hostages home.

In a few short weeks, we hope to bring this same nonpartisan message to bring them home and seal the deal with the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. There are still 120 innocent people being held against their will in Gaza by Hamas terrorists, and eight of them are Americans. 

The hostage families know that President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, who also met with the prime minister on Thursday, are unified in their ironclad support for Israel and its security, and their tireless work to bring home all of the hostages after 300 days in captivity.

In case the Netanyahu and other officials forgot what I said in our meeting on Thursday afternoon in the White House, there is a deal on the table, and it is a good deal. There is no perfect deal. The hostages have been suffering for 294 days. Their families are broken and the people of Israel are in trauma. If we do not make this deal, today, there will not be another deal. If there is no deal, our hostages who are still alive will perish in Gaza, forever. The moment is now, or never. 

I told Netanyahu that the U.S. is his greatest ally, Biden his greatest defender, having stood by his side for 300 days and, before that, for 40 years as Israel’s dearest friend.

Netanyahu is one of only two people who can make this deal happen. It is up to him and Biden. Netanyahu alone can sign a deal. It is time for him to show bold leadership and political will. We do not have any more time. 

The last thing I asked Netanyahu and Biden was: What commitment can you make for us? 

President Biden answered that he would do everything he could to rapidly bring our loved ones home. Netanyahu looked at the president and then looked me in the eyes and said, “What the president just said.”

As I write, I am on a plane to visit my niece Leron and my nephew Zoli, little Abigail, and her siblings and cousins. They have all seen the powerful photo of their aunt and Netanyahu shaking hands from the first meeting last week. The photo shows two people with different goals.

Abigail, my resilient four-year-old niece, was once a hostage in Gaza for 51 days herself. 

I cannot wait for the minute that Abigail will ask me, “What did you tell Bibi?” And I will say, “I told him to be brave and bold.”

I will hug that miraculous 4-year-old girl who is living proof of being brave and bold. Her courage and survival are a testament that bravery and boldness can prevail. 

The question I have now for Netanyahu is, can you be brave enough and bold enough to sign the deal that is on the table today, and bring our hostages home now? 

Liz Hirsh Naftali is a hostage release advocate and humanitarian ambassador.