In recent days, the families of IDF Capt. Omer Neutra, 21, and Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, 19, who were killed in action battling Gaza terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, visited Washington, where they expressed their gratitude to officials in the administration and in Congress who played a role in securing the release from captivity of their sons.
The families also thanked those involved in the return of all other hostages, both the living and the dead.
Their visit included meetings with about 20 senators and 20 members of the House of Representatives from both the Republican and Democratic parties.
“Throughout the entire struggle we insisted on maintaining a nonpolitical approach,” the families said. “We worked with the Biden administration during an election year and, after the transition, with the Trump administration as well.”
The families held a reception attended by numerous figures, including leaders of Jewish and evangelical organizations, global groups dedicated to freeing hostages, journalists and advisers who were involved in efforts to secure the return of Omer and Itay and all the remaining hostages. At the White House, they met with members of the National Security Council and the president’s adviser on counter-terrorism.
“On our way to Washington we visited former president Biden at his home. It was important for us to thank him personally for his dedication to freeing the hostages during his presidency,” the families added.
Orna and Ronen Neutra said that, beyond their gratitude, the purpose of the trip was to promote the release of Ran Gvili, the last hostage whose remains in the hands of Hamas. “This is deeply important to all of us. We understand the longing and the hope families feel to bring their loved ones home for burial. We explained how much it matters,” they said.
Ronen described the difficulty of explaining to American officials why returning slain soldiers for burial is so significant.
“It was not simple to convey the importance of bringing our children home. The case of Hadar Goldin was an example of a wound that remained open in Israeli society. There was no way to leave him there. Hamas has shown they know where everyone is, so why would they not know where Ran Gvili is?” Ronen said.
When asked about the next stage of coping with their son’s death, the Neutras said, “We need to begin dealing with our grief. Our mourning was suspended for more than two years. We pushed it aside and did not engage with it because we were occupied around the clock with the fight to free all the hostages, mainly in the U.S.
“Now that there is a grave in Israel, we need to understand that this is it, that it is final, that Omer has been brought to burial, and that we have moved from being parents of a hostage to bereaved parents,” Ronen added.
Asked why they chose to bury Omer in Israel rather than in their Long Island community, the parents said, “There was no hesitation about burying Omer in Israel. Omer loved Israel with every fiber of his being, fought on October 7 and was killed for it.”
They explained that their only question was where in Israel he should be laid to rest. “We debated whether to bury him on Mount Herzl [in Jerusalem], a central site visited by groups from Israel and abroad, or in the Kiryat Shaul Military Cemetery [in Tel Aviv], which is also highly respected. In the end, we chose Kiryat Shaul because it is more accessible for the family, most of whom live in central Israel.”
Regarding their future public activity, the parents said, “We need to make personal decisions about where and how our efforts will shift. Omer was a hostage who in many ways was different from the others because he was an American who grew up in Long Island, chose to immigrate on his own to serve, and became a leader both in New York and as an armored corps officer in the IDF.”
They described the inspiration their son continues to provide. “There is an entire community that wants to remember him here and many young people who look up to him. Recently a new garin, a group of lone soldiers in Kibbutz Hanaton in the Lower Galilee, decided to call themselves the Neutra Group in his memory. Twenty-eight young men and women, all college graduates, immigrated to Israel and are now enlisting in the army.”
“We understand the importance of young Zionist leadership and the critical bond between the U.S. and Israel. Advocacy and leadership development may be areas we choose to pursue in Omer’s spirit and in his memory,” they said.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
