It has been 100 days since the new U.S. administration took office amid a clear policy of ‘America First.’
But for American families like mine, families whose loved ones are still held hostage by Hamas for over 560 days, we should have already seen results from this policy. My son, Itay Chen, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, remains in captivity. So do four other Americans: Edan Alexander, Omer Neutra, Judy and Gadi Weinstein. Every day that passes without their return is another day of anguish, uncertainty, and pain.
As a father, I wake up every morning hoping this will be the day I get the call from the White House telling me my son is coming home. When President Donald Trump won the election, I felt a renewed sense of hope. I believed that his leadership, strength, and personal concern for American hostages would lead to real movement. And I deeply thank President Trump for demanding the release of all hostages even before his inauguration that led to the release of 33 hostages in Gaza, including two U.S. citizens.
I believe he cares profoundly, but the truth is, the first 100 days of this administration have not delivered what the president himself demanded – releasing all of the U.S. hostages in Gaza and sending a clear message that holding U.S. hostages anywhere is a liability, not an asset.
This is not a critique made in anger. It is a plea made in desperation. I understand that diplomacy is complex. I know that the negotiations around hostages—especially in a war zone and involving multiple international actors— require discretion, patience, and nuance. But I also know that time is not on our side. As the weeks pass, the fear grows that the window to bring our loved ones back is narrowing and they will disappear forever.
We have seen this administration act boldly in other arenas to implement the America First policy, particularly when it comes to economic policy. Tariffs and financial pressure have already been deployed as tools of American strength.
Why not apply similar pressure now to release the U.S. hostages? Instead of the administration being proactive, U.S. families like mine, out of despair, are taking matters into our own hands. We’ve been lobbying Congress to impose direct financial sanctions against Hamas, pressuring banks and financial institutions to freeze assets and urging stricter enforcement of existing measures. Just this month, U.S. families filed a lawsuit against Bashar Masri, an American businessman charging that he provided assistance in constructing infrastructure that allowed Hamas militants to carry out their cross-border rampage, including killing 45 U.S. citizens. We’ve urged the Administration, the Department of Justice and the Treasury to expand these efforts.
The administration can, and must, do more. Americans – children, fathers, sisters – are all still being held in underground tunnels by a terrorist organization, in conditions we can barely imagine. The previous administration told the American families the way to release our family members would be via Israel as a proxy. Though the plan did not work, the Biden administration kept doubling down on the same plan despite not getting the expected results.
The Trump administration inherited this policy and should re-evaluate the game plan. President Trump is an extremely gifted negotiator. His team successfully released several U.S. citizens from war zones with direct negotiations. As such, why is President Trump not directly negotiating for the release of U.S. citizens in Gaza, but instead using third parties such as Qatar to negotiate for the release of U.S. citizens? In January, we saw what the president’s direct involvement can do to release hostages. The U.S. has a legal obligation to get its citizens out of harm’s way and if the proxy is not capable of releasing them, then the U.S. must find a different path to release its citizens.
Trump administration officials have sent a clear message to the world that American lives are not bargaining chips. This administration has the opportunity to reinforce that principle—to lead with strength and show that ‘America First’ means never leaving Americans behind.
I will not lose hope. My faith in America’s power and promise is unbroken. But that hope needs to be matched with action. For Itay. For the other hostages. For the credibility – and the soul – of a nation that is seeking to reset the table with the world based on a true ‘America First’ policy. What a victory it would be if President Trump, in his upcoming visit to the Middle East, will bring on his plane back home the 5 U.S. hostages from Gaza.
