WASHINGTON — Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris—and the primary Jewish individual married to a nationally elected U.S. chief—mentioned Tuesday that he’s “gutted” after the execution of American Hersh Goldberg-Polin and 5 different Israeli hostages taken by Hamas.
Talking at a vigil for the hostages at his synagogue in Washington, Emhoff mentioned, “I haven’t been capable of cease serious about Hersh and his mother and father, or in regards to the 5 others and their households.” He added: “That is onerous. I really feel uncooked. I’m gutted.”
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Emhoff, who stands to change into the nation’s “first gentleman” if Harris is elected president in November, has emerged as a outstanding administration liaison to the Jewish neighborhood and a voice in countering antisemitism, significantly within the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on Israel. About 1,200 individuals, together with a minimum of 40 People, have been killed within the assault, and about 250 extra have been taken hostage.
“How you’re feeling proper now’s how I really feel,” Emhoff mentioned on the occasion on the Adas Israel Congregation organized by native and nationwide Jewish teams. “And the way all of us really feel is one thing Kamala hears instantly from me.”
He added: “Hersh’s loss feels private to the 2 of us. We’re each grieving.”
Emhoff recounted his and Harris’ dialog with Goldberg-Polin’s mother and father on Sunday, a day after Israeli forces found their our bodies in a tunnel underneath Gaza. He mentioned that even whereas mourning the lack of their son, Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jonathan Polin have been urgent Harris in regards to the newest on the negotiations to succeed in a cease-fire deal that might free different hostages.
“A part of Rachel and Jon’s world had simply ended, they usually one way or the other are nonetheless trying ahead and searching for others,” Emhoff mentioned.
He continued: “Jon and Rachel’s hearts have room to carry everybody. They don’t seem to be giving up, and neither can we. Not on this 333rd day. Not ever. Not till each hostage is reunited with their household.”
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Emhoff added that Harris and President Joe Biden are working “across the clock to get a hostage and cease-fire deal achieved.” He mentioned, “The time to convey them house is now.”
Goldberg-Polin and Polin spoke finally month’s Democratic Nationwide Conference in Chicago as a part of their household’s international tour to boost consciousness in regards to the hostages and their plight. Emhoff mentioned they understood “that except we inform the story time and again, we’ve no hope of ‘by no means once more,’” and mentioned the Jewish neighborhood should proceed to inform the tales of the hostages.