The bipartisan moment at the Democratic convention everyone is talking about

The moment will be remembered.
Rachel Goldberg and her husband Jon Polin walked across the stage to a standing ovation and then stood at the lectern side by side, their expressions reflecting gratitude, but solemn in obvious reverence for the message they were about to give. Their shirts were adorned with a hastily affixed bit of masking tape with the number 320 written on it as if it were a name tag at a party.
They are the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the 23-year-old American held hostage in Gaza. He was grabbed during the infamous concert in Israel interrupted by Hamas terrorists who killed and captured concertgoers 320 days ago.
Rachel bowed her head, put her hand on her heart, composed herself, and then spoke first to the now silent crowd.
“At this moment, 109 treasured human beings are being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. They are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists. They are from 23 different countries. The youngest hostage is a 1-year-old redheaded baby boy, and the oldest is an 86-year-old mustachioed grandpa. Among the hostages are eight American citizens. One of those Americans is our only son. His name is Hersh.”
Tears from those inside Chicago’s United Center greeted the remarks from the Jewish couple, even as pro-Palestinian demonstrators continued outside the convention.
Police had clashed with the demonstrators the day before, arresting some, but there was no mention of the protest from the couple who came with a pleading message that they have repeated since the hostages were taken on Oct. 7, 2023.
“Since then, we live on another planet,” Rachel said. “Anyone who is a parent, or has had a parent can try to imagine the anguish and misery that Jon and I and all the hostage families are enduring.”
Jon took the stage and said what all — Republican and Democrat — needed to hear:
“This is a political convention. But needing our only son and all the precious hostages home is not a political issue.”
And with that, the applause broke the silence from the crowd of Democrats nodding in agreement.
Reaction was swift.
Bari Weiss, editor of The Free Press, on X called the speech “the most powerful moment of the DNC.” She was not alone. Every network commented on its power.
The question now is, will anything come of it?
The State Department has issued the following summary regarding conditions in Israel and Gaza.
“Terrorist groups, lone-actor terrorists and other violent extremists continue plotting possible attacks in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. Terrorists and violent extremists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities. Violence can occur in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza without warning.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been in Israel and working toward a cease-fire and peaceful solution. This week, he told reporters that a cease-fire proposal remains in play:
“Israel has now accepted that proposal — I heard that directly from Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday,” Blinken said Tuesday, adding, “and we hope and expect that Hamas will do the same. That’s the critical next step, but once that happens we also have to complete the detailed implementation agreements that go along with putting the cease-fire into effect.”
Blinken has since been in Egypt and Qatar, meeting with leaders and intelligence officers.
“And with our partners in Egypt and Qatar, our message is simple, it’s clear, and it’s urgent: We need to get the cease-fire and hostage agreement over the finish line, and we need to do it now,” Blinken said.
It is the same message expressed Wednesday night, in the most heartfelt terms, by Rachel and Jon. Their son was born in Oakland, California, but his wanderlust takes him to faraway places; at least, it did before he became a hostage in the war that has taken thousands of Israeli and Palestinian lives.
“We’re heartened that both Democratic and Republican leaders demonstrate their bipartisan support for our hostages being released,” Jon Polin said.
Then, together, he and his wife stood with a final appeal as their nine-minute appearance closed.
“Bring them home.”