Political Quotes

“I thank Mr. Lawler, and I thank all of my colleagues for standing here together today. Mr. Speaker, 8 years ago, I met a 14-year-old Solomon Schechter School freshman at the local Salute to Israel event at the Sid Jacobson JCC on Long Island. His name was Omer Neutra. When I met Omer's parents, Ronen and Orna Neutra, in December of 2023, they described Omer as a likable, big, goofy kid who excelled in sports and who other kids liked to be around. After graduating from the Solomon Schechter School, Omer, whose grandparents were Holocaust survivors, decided before going to Binghamton University, he would join the Israel Defense Forces. Instead of staying for just a year, he worked his way up to become a tank commander. On October 7, 2023, Omer was the victim of the surprise attack by the Hamas terrorists. For over 420 days, Omer's parents and his brother, Daniel, have done everything they can with the love and support of hundreds of thousands of others to free their son from captivity. Every day, they soldiered on through alternating deep sorrow and brief bursts of hopefulness. They went from crushing anxiety to steely determination. Just a few days ago we learned that this young man, this bright light, this courageous idealist, made the ultimate sacrifice. Omer had not been alive for the past 423 days. He was murdered on October 7. Now all of his family's alternating emotions have been replaced with deep grief. We who know them grieve with them.…”