Miami 2024"Ask yourselves: What did you do today for the hostages?"
Miami 2024
"Ask yourselves: What did you do today for the hostages?"
Ruby Chen, the father of the soldier Itay Chen, who fell in battle on October 7 and was kidnapped to Gaza, shared the struggle of the families. Chen, an American citizen, urged US citizens to call senators and members of Congress and demand action to end the nightmare of the 101 abductees.
Ruby Chen
(Credit: Tomeriko)
"I'm actually a VC (venture capital) professional and am supposed to know quite a few people here, but since October 7, I have a new identity: I am the father of an Israeli abductee in Gaza," said Ruby Chen at Calcalist and Bank Leumi’s Miami conference. Chen’s son, Itay, has been held in Gaza for 405 days.
Chen shared the story of his son, Itay, who chose to serve in a special unit in a tank division and was stationed at the Nahal Oz base that fateful day. He recounted how Itay’s team fought for hours, preventing the mass murder of countless Israelis in the nearby kibbutz, yet received no external assistance. Terrorists eventually reached the tank, killed one of the crew members, and abducted three, including Itay. In March 2024, the IDF informed the family that Itay had fallen in battle at the outpost and that his body was being held in the Gaza Strip.
"As soon as my son's war ended, our war began—a war of the families of the hostages," Chen said. "It's difficult to even call it a war because you’d expect the 10 million Jews in Israel and around the world to support us, but somehow that wasn’t the case."
Chen explained that the families of the abductees had to form a nonprofit organization to manage their advocacy and struggle because the state and government did not provide the expected support. "Unfortunately, we had to act independently," he said.
Born in New York and holding American citizenship, Chen described the family's ongoing interactions with U.S. officials. "Yesterday, we were at the White House with families who had met President Biden. The day before, we spoke with Jake Sullivan, the National Security Adviser. He told us he had just spent several hours with the president-elect, and among hundreds of issues, he highlighted that the current administration will continue pushing for the release of the hostages until its last day in office. He urged the incoming administration to take immediate action. We cannot wait until January 20 to start asking, 'What do we do now?'"
Chen stressed the urgency of the situation: "The hostages don't have time—they are dying. The longer this takes, the harder it will be to find them." He emphasized their efforts to keep the issue bipartisan, encouraging Democrats and Republicans to work together toward a resolution.
Turning to his professional background in fintech, Chen reflected on its dual impact. While fintech has brought significant benefits to the world, it has also enabled Hamas to raise millions through a traceless global financing network, which remains active today. This system, he explained, facilitates the transfer of funds from countries such as Turkey, Kuwait, and Indonesia to Gaza. "This is another front where we must fight and struggle," he stated.
In conclusion, Chen urged American citizens to take action for the abductees. "You have a senator and a representative in Congress. Call them and ask, 'What did you do today to free the hostages?' Make those calls. Demand action to end the tragedy impacting 101 families. We simply cannot wait any longer."
To hear his full remarks, click on the video above.
