Elise Stefanik: “October 7 marked one of the darkest days in history, the bloodiest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.…”

“October 7 marked one of the darkest days in history, the bloodiest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Iranian-backed Hamas committed unspeakable atrocities against humanity, savagely murdering 1,200 innocent Israelis, viciously assaulting and raping women, and taking hundreds of men, women, babies, and elderly victims as hostages. On this day of pure evil, Omer Neutra lost his life commanding his tank platoon in defense of Israel against these barbaric Hamas terrorists. Omer was an incredibly brave 21-year-old American Israeli and New York native who grew up on Long Island, loved the Knicks, and was the captain of his high school basketball team. After spending a gap year in Israel, Omer joined the IDF in 2020, putting off his plans to attend SUNY Binghamton. In the IDF, Omer served as a tank platoon commander on the Gaza border. As the catastrophic events of Hamas' barbaric October 7 attacks were unfolding, Omer's parents, Ronen and Orna, immediately began their advocacy to find their beloved son. For over 420 days, Ronen and Orna shared Omer's story and brought attention to the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza. They bravely kept their hope and light through dozens of meetings with U.S. and Israeli government officials advocating on behalf of Omer and the other hostages. Ronen and Orna's strength and resilience for over 400 days truly embodies the light that Israel stands for and that Hamas tried and failed to extinguish.…”