The first time I remember celebrating the Fourth of July was the Bicentennial in 1976. My folks woke me and my sisters up early to see the Parade of Ships entering the Hudson River. As a kid, I could feel the strength of the U.S., knowing it would do anything to keep me and my family safe from danger.
This Fourth of July, Americans will find themselves in two very different realities. Most will be surrounded by family and friends, enjoying baseball, hot dogs, and ice cream cones. But for eight Americans, this day will be a stark contrast. Stripped of their freedom, these eight U.S. citizens will spend the Fourth of July like they have the last 272 days — starving, likely alone, in the cold, dark tunnels of Hamas ISIS in Gaza and their families are in limbo, not able to celebrate the holiday.
We need to remember every day, especially on this day, that Hamas is holding eight U.S. citizens hostage. There is an American father whose three daughters will celebrate the Fourth of July without him. There are young men from New York and New Jersey robbed of their freedom. There is Itay, my 19-year-old son, who was murdered on Oct. 7 and his remains taken hostage as a future negotiation chip, denied even the fundamental humanitarian right to a proper burial.
This year, more than ever, we must look past the haze of fireworks and remember that the Fourth of July is about something more. It’s about celebrating our hard-fought, long-defended freedom and knowing that an attack on the freedom of any American — or any eight Americans — is an attack on the freedom of us all. So long as the American 8 remain in captivity, we are letting evil and terrorism win.
Last month, President Biden put forth a plan to end the war in Gaza and restore the freedom of the remaining 120 hostages. Like many times before, I hoped this would be the deal that brought my son home. The proposal not only ended the hostage crisis, it mapped out a road to peace in Gaza. How could Hamas say no?
But when given the chance of peace, they chose continued death and destruction for Israelis, for Americans, and for their own people. And now Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also appears to be walking back from the president’s ceasefire deal, calling for only a partial hostage release that keeps the door open for continued fighting in the region.
Where is the outrage of the American people? Hamas killed 45 American civilians on Oct. 7 and is torturing, sexually violating, and starving the Americans who survived. But instead of protesting what is a clear attack on America, pro-terrorism mobs have swarmed the White House with signs calling for “jihad” and “martyrdom,” signs that read “Stand with Hamas.”
We’re not putting enough pressure on Israel to bring the hostages home, either. Time and time again, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has made clear that securing their release comes second to Israel’s military objectives in Gaza. Instead of compelling Netanyahu to reorder his priorities, politicians have invited him to address Congress on July 24.
The prime minister should be putting his energy towards bringing my son home, not preparing for a political trip to win hearts and minds in Washington. He needs to spend every minute fighting for the ultimate victory — the return of the 120 hostages he has abandoned for nearly nine months. If he decides to address Congress, he needs to focus his speech on Israel’s plans for securing the immediate release of all the 120 hostages.
America defined the values of freedom and human dignity that we celebrate on the Fourth of July. They didn’t come easy — we had to fight for them, good versus evil, and our continued defense of democracy is an essential part of the American identity.
This Fourth of July, keep in mind that there was an attack on our freedom on Oct. 7 and eight of your fellow Americans remain in captivity. Use whatever platform you have to tell Hamas, Israel, Qatar, Egypt and the Biden administration that enough is enough. It is time to put all our energy behind pushing Hamas and Israel to approve Biden’s ceasefire deal and bring the hostages home. Post on social media, write to your lawmakers, start conversations, demonstrate peacefully, do everything in your power to squash terrorism, and ensure freedom wins the day.
Chen, a New Yorker, is the father of 19-year-old American Itay Chen, who was killed Oct. 7 at the Gaza Strip border.