Following the latest release of hostages, the parents of Hersh Polin, an American citizen abducted in Israel on October 7, 2023, and later murdered by Hamas terrorists after eleven months of captivity, issued a video appeal to President Donald Trump.
In an Instagram video, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin responded to the release of Israeli civilians Eli Sharabi (52), Or Levy (34), and Ohad Ben Ami (56). These three individuals were among the 250 people taken hostage during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Their gaunt appearance and forced statements during the Hamas handover sparked widespread outrage, especially considering Israel’s concurrent release of nearly 200 Palestinian prisoners.
“We received wonderful news about Eli, Or, and Ohad’s release today,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin stated on the “Bring.Hersh.Home” account, which boasts over 173,000 followers. “We felt a strong connection to Or and his family because Or and Hersh were kidnapped together from the same bomb shelter, in the same truck, on October 7th. In fact, Or’s brother, Mikha’el, contacted us after Shabbat to say that Or’s first question was about Hersh, assuming he’d been released. His brother had to explain that Hersh was murdered five months ago.”
Jon Polin then directly appealed to President Trump and U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, urging them to secure the release of the remaining 76 hostages that week.
“Seeing the condition of these three hostages, hearing that Or didn’t know what happened to Hersh, that Eli was unaware of his family’s fate, is devastating,” Jon Polin said. “President Trump and Mr. Witkoff, you’ve proven to be the only ones capable of progress. My plea is this: don’t focus on phases over many months. Let’s think bigger, faster. All 76 hostages released this week. End the war. Who benefits from prolonging this? Not the people of this region. Let’s get it done now. Thank you.”
“Godspeed,” added Rachel Goldberg-Polin.
Hersh Polin and five other hostages were murdered by Hamas terrorists last August, shortly before Israeli troops reached the tunnel where they were held in southern Gaza. Israeli forces recovered the six bodies; forensic experts determined they were shot at close range after nearly a year in captivity.
Goldberg-Polin, originally from Berkeley, California, was at a music festival when Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and 250 abductions. He sustained a grenade blast injury, losing part of his left arm. A Hamas video in April showed him missing his left hand, triggering further protests in Israel.
Upon their release, the three Israeli hostages began to grapple with the tragic realities awaiting them.
Sharabi, after 16 months of captivity, learned upon his return that his wife and two daughters had been killed in the October 7th attack, according to Israeli media.
Levy was unsure of his wife’s fate on that day, his mother, Geula, told Israeli media, adding that he had no media access while in Gaza. Abducted from a bomb shelter near the Nova music festival, his wife, Einav, was killed in the attack. His mother stated he also inquired about Goldberg-Polin, who was abducted from the same shelter. Levy was reunited with his 3-year-old son on Saturday.
Ben Ami, the third released hostage, embraced his wife and three daughters in a hospital corridor. He stated, “I have a lot of things to catch up on.” A resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the hardest-hit communities, he added, “I need to get answers to a lot of things, and I know some of them will be difficult answers. I need to know what happened that day,” in footage from the Israeli Prime Minister’s office.
This was the first prisoner exchange since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire began on January 19.