As President-elect Donald Trump continues to shape his cabinet, the selection of Mike Waltz as incoming national security adviser gives me, the father of Itay Chen, a U.S. hostage being held in Gaza by Hamas, a renewed sense of hope. Waltz should bring the decisive policy changes that we, the families of those abducted by Hamas, have been begging for.
My son Itay, along with six other U.S. citizens, has been held hostage since Oct. 7, 2023. Negotiations, pressure, and sanctions have so far failed to free them. Waltz has an opportunity to redefine the U.S. approach and implement a forceful strategy that directly targets the existence and future lifeblood of Hamas. With Waltz’s experience as a Green Beret, and commitment to U.S. security, he can shape a policy that not only helps Israel dismantle these threats, but also corrects America’s policy in the Middle East to enable peace and stability through strength.
Hamas started this war on Oct. 7 with their murders, rapes, torture and abductions of Israelis. Yet, throughout the subsequent fighting, many of those leading the terror group have been living abroad comfortably, avoiding the consequences of the conflagration they began. Now that Qatar has finally expelled Hamas leaders from its borders, Israel has a unique chance to make them pay for their part in the Oct. 7 atrocities. The U.S. should unequivocally support Israel’s efforts to physically dismantle Hamas’s leadership – wherever it may operate.
Iran’s ongoing financial support for Hamas – such as the fake charities set up in Turkey and other countries – helps fuel this conflict, providing incentives for terrorists and the daily operational cash the terror group needs to survive. By intensifying sanctions on Iran and establishing more robust frameworks to crack down on illegal money transfers globally, the U.S. can cut off the resources that enable acts of global terror. This will signal worldwide that supporting terrorism is not good business under President Trump’s watch. Without financial resources, terror cannot thrive.
Turkey’s position as a NATO member comes with assurances, privileges and responsibilities. One of those is a commitment to peace and the rejection of terror. Turkey’s response to the Oct. 7 massacre and its continuous support of Hamas is contrary to NATO’s values. There is a clear axis of evil: On the one side, Russia, North Korea, Iran and its Houthi, Hamas, and Hezbollah proxies, and on the other, the U.S., Israel, the UK, France and other NATO members. The U.S. must let Turkey know that it cannot reap the benefits of being a NATO member while also acting contrary to U.S. strategic interests.
For the families of Hamas hostages, every day is an eternity. I call on Mike Waltz and the entire incoming administration to redouble its efforts, providing every tool possible to secure the release of the hostages: More diplomatic initiatives, enhanced intelligence sharing, U.S. boots on the ground, and more – all aimed at bringing the U.S. hostages home. My family deserves to be whole again, every family deserves to be whole again, and this support is vital to that mission.
Now, with President Trump, incoming Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Waltz as national security adviser, we have a unique opportunity for the release of the U.S. hostages to be a catalyst for a new era for the Middle East. I have faith that President Trump and his leadership team can help build a new Middle East based on a 2.0 Abraham Accords with Saudi Arabia and other Arab Sunni countries joining the peace treaty with Israel. On a personal level, my family prays that by Christmas my family will have its holiday miracle and be whole again and reunited with our son.