A display of the American hostages at the Democratic National Convention Aug. 21. Photo by Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

By Jacob Kornbluh December 3, 2024

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the mother of slain American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, sharply criticized political leaders during a speech to Jewish lay leaders and philanthropists in New York on Monday. Speaking at the annual UJA-Federation of New York’s Wall Street Dinner, she accused politicians — without naming names — of prioritizing their own power over taking meaningful action to resolve the ongoing hostage crisis.

“I have learned that there is a force more addictive than anything in the world, and that force is power,” Goldberg-Polin said after detailing her 330-day struggle to release her son from captivity, describing it as a crash course in geopolitics. “Once someone has it, they will do whatever it takes to keep it.”

Rachel and her husband, Jon, gained widespread recognition for their advocacy on behalf of their son and all of the hostages. They met with world leaders, business tycoons and stars in the entertainment industry. The couple also spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August, where Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the hostage crisis in her acceptance speech.

Days after the speech, Hersh was killed by his captors with five other hostages. His body was later retrieved by IDF forces and brought back for burial. The bodies of four more Americans — Itay Chen, Omer Neutra, and Gadi and Judi Haggai — are still believed held in Gaza.

Another three American hostages — Keith Siegel, Edan Alexander and Sagui Dekel-Chen — are believed to still be alive.

Efforts to secure the release of the remaining 101 hostages have stalled since the initial ceasefire deal in November 2023, which paused fighting for a week and led to the release of 112 hostages. Freed hostages and their relatives have joined increasingly large weekly protests, with some calling for new elections and a change in leadership. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted demands for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a key condition set by Hamas for a proposed three-phased ceasefire deal. Hardliners within Netanyahu’s coalition have threatened to topple the government if he agrees to end the war.

“Until Oct. 7 last year, I was a naive person, and I thought that the world worked one way — be kind, be respectful, work hard, raise your kids well, pay your taxes,” Goldberg-Polin said on Monday. “I came to learn that every single thing is transactional. The world works based on interests and equities. I was ignorant. I just didn’t know.” She added, “Scientists say there are five substances that are the most addictive in the world. They are alcohol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and nicotine. But nothing, nothing is as delicious, irresistible and enslaving as power.”

Goldberg-Polin also recalled the night she received the news about her son’s death, reflected on her grieving period and called for unity and respect in the public discourse.

The White House is attempting a final push to get a deal done. President Joe Biden said last week that the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon had created an opportunity to reignite stalled negotiations for a similar deal in Gaza. President-elect Trump issued an ultimatum on Monday to Hamas to release the hostages before he takes office or “there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity.”

In a statement on Tuesday, Netanyahu thanked Trump for his call to release the hostages. “This adds another force to our continued effort to release all the hostages,” he said.

Goldberg-Polin said that a deal is “absolutely doable” soon. “Do not let anyone tell you otherwise — as long as the people with power and influence decide that it is an interest and an equity for them.”

Watch Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s full remarks:

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