WASHINGTON — Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris — and the primary Jewish particular person 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 dad and mom, or concerning the 5 others and their households.” He added: “That is exhausting. I really feel uncooked. I’m gutted.”
Emhoff, who stands to turn into the nation’s “first gentleman” if Harris is elected president in November, has emerged as a distinguished administration liaison to the Jewish group and a voice in countering antisemitism, significantly within the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on Israel. About 1,200 folks, together with at the least 40 Individuals, had been killed within the assault, and about 250 extra had been taken hostage.
“How you are 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 straight 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 dad and mom on Sunday, a day after Israeli forces found their our bodies in a tunnel beneath Gaza. He mentioned that even whereas mourning the lack of their son, Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jonathan Polin had been urgent Harris concerning the newest on the negotiations to succeed in a cease-fire deal that will free different hostages.
“A part of Rachel and Jon’s world had simply ended, and so they someway are nonetheless trying ahead and searching for others,” Emhoff mentioned.
He continued: “Jon and Rachel’s hearts have room to carry everybody. They aren’t giving up, and neither can we. Not on this 333rd day. Not ever. Not till each hostage is reunited with their household.”
Emhoff added that Harris and President Joe Biden are working “across the clock to get a hostage and cease-fire deal accomplished.” He mentioned, “The time to carry them house is now.”
Goldberg-Polin and Polin spoke eventually month’s Democratic Nationwide Conference in Chicago as a part of their household’s world tour to boost consciousness concerning the hostages and their plight. Emhoff mentioned they understood “that until we inform the story many times, we now have no hope of ‘by no means once more,’” and mentioned the Jewish group should proceed to inform the tales of the hostages.
