Political Quotes

“today, I am heartbroken to learn that 19- year-old fellow Brooklynite Itay Chen was killed on October 7 at the brutal hands of Hamas terrorists who still cruelly hold on to his remains. Itay was serving with the IDF as a U.S.-Israeli citizen and was stationed near the Gaza border on the day of Hamas's terrorist attack. I spoke to Itay's family earlier today to say all of Brooklyn--and all of Maryland--mourns the loss of their son, and I told them we will work relentlessly to make sure their son's body comes home. I first met Itay's family in Israel, just a few days after October 7, when I went quickly to go to Israel to express solidarity after that awful attack, and I have spoken to the Chen family many times since. Over time, I have gotten to know them, and I feel like I have also gotten to know a little bit of what Itay was like by hearing it through his father, his mother, and his brothers. Itay's father Ruby has been one of the leading advocates for the return of the hostages. He has traveled to every corner of the world and has met with some of the highest ranking leaders in the world to say: Bring them home. Bring them home now. Itay's father requested me to ``please get his body back.'' I will do everything I can to make it happen. The family is not going to sit Shiva and observe formal Jewish burial practices until they recover Itay's body.…”