On the third night of the Democratic convention, attended by such famous names as Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Nancy Pelosi or even Stevie Wonder, it was a memorial speech by the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Pauline – a hostage of Hamas in Gaza for more than 10 months – that moved supporters of candidate Kamala Harris.
The loud cries of “Bring him home” brought Rachel Goldbg, the hostage’s mother, to tears. Democrats attending the party’s National Convention in Chicago were also moved by the parents’ desperate words.
“This is a political convention, but wanting our only son and all the beloved hostages to return home is not a political issue,” said John Paulin, the father of a hostage in Gaza.
Goldberg-Polin is one of eight Hamas hostages who are U.S. citizens. In addition to being kidnapped during the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, he also had part of his arm amputated in a grenade attack. He has been held captive for more than 320 days, according to a sticker his parents used during their speech.
The mother emphasized the diversity of the hostages. “They are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists. They are from more than 23 countries. The youngest is a one-year-old red-haired baby, and the oldest is an 86-year-old grandfather with a moustache,” he described.
John made a plea for peace, ensuring that “there are no winners in a contest of power.” “There is undue agony on both sides of the conflict,” he said, before quoting Jewish texts advocating harmony among people: “All people are a whole universe. We must save all universes.”
The war between Israel and Hamas has been a theme of the Democratic National Convention since the first day, when thousands of activists gathered in front of the Democrats’ pavilion to protest the United States’ position in the conflict.
Domestically, the issue has also been debated by Democrats.