Adriano Espaillat: “I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding to me. As co-chair of the bipartisan Latino-Jewish Caucus, I rise…”

“I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding to me. As co-chair of the bipartisan Latino-Jewish Caucus, I rise today to tell an important story. There are many hostages. Over 100 hostages have been held for 115 days from all walks of life. Children, a 1-year- old child, seniors, women, and family members are being held hostage. I rise today to tell the story of a 34-year-old Israeli-Colombian hostage by the name of Elkana Bohbot, whose family I met this past December. Elkana is not just an Israeli-Colombian. He is the beloved sibling of Jacob and Uriel Bohbot, the loving husband of Geraldyn Bohbot, and the dad of a 3-year-old. Before October 7, Elkana had just opened up an ice cream shop in Tel Aviv and was looking forward to taking his 3-year-old son there for the first time. Just imagine that, Mr. Speaker: a dad opening up an ice cream store and just waiting to see how his 3-year-old son will react when he first tastes that chocolate, that vanilla, or that strawberry ice cream. I think we could identify with the magic of that moment. Yet now, every passing day for Elkana and his family are a waking nightmare. The last time Elkana's family saw him was in a Hamas video that was taken on October 7 alongside other hostages, and, in it, Elkana was severely injured. Elkana has been forced to survive each passing day in the depths of Hamas tunnels without ventilation or fresh air fighting through asthma attacks because he is asthmatic without his medication.…”