Staff Reports
Ruby Chen, the grieving father of Israeli-American IDF soldier Itay Chen, sat down with Alex Marlow to tell a story every patriotic American should hear: Itay was killed during the brutal October 7 terrorist rampage and, outrageously, his body was taken into Gaza and held by Hamas for years. The simple human truth of a father denied even the chance to properly bury his son is a moral indictment of the terrorists and a stain on any politician who treats these families as an afterthought.
Itay was a young dual citizen serving in Israel’s Seventh Armored Brigade when the October 7 attacks overwhelmed his unit; the IDF eventually concluded he was killed and that his remains remained in Gaza. He was barely out of boyhood, a tank crew member doing what every free nation hopes its sons and daughters will do — defend their homeland — yet now his family is left to fight for dignity and closure.
Chen’s testimony is not theater; it’s a plea that should shame Washington into action. Ruby has been relentless — lobbying officials, meeting with lawmakers, and demanding answers while his family waits in limbo; that perseverance highlights the cold reality that families of Oct. 7 victims have been forced into endless advocacy just to be treated like human beings.
Let there be no equivocation: Hamas are terrorists, and any government or institution that hesitates to use every diplomatic and strategic lever to recover remains and living hostages is failing both allies and American citizens. Our leaders owe these families more than platitudes; they owe them resolute pressure, clear objectives, and public accountability for every day of delay.
Too many in the media and in power have grown comfortable with vague promises and quiet diplomacy while fathers like Ruby scream for justice and closure. Conservatives must demand a foreign policy that matches our rhetoric — unambiguous support for Israel’s right to defend itself, relentless pursuit of hostages’ return, and punitive measures against any actor that aids Hamas or obstructs recovery efforts.
Hardworking Americans — the flag-waving, duty-honoring majority — should stand with the Chen family and every parent who has lost a child to Islamist terror. We remember Itay not as a statistic but as a son, a soldier, and an American whose memory demands action; let this country be known for bringing our people home and for never letting sacrifice be forgotten.
