e [Applause] bring 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 one-year-old redheaded baby boy and the oldest is an 86-year-old Mustachio Grandpa among the hostages are eight American citizens one of those Americans is our only son his name is hirsh he's 23 years old and like vice president kamla Harris Hirsch was born in Oakland California hirs is a happy go-lucky laid-back good humored respectful and curious person he is a civilian he loves soccer is wild about music and music festivals and he has been obsessed with geography and travel since he was a little boy his bedroom overflows with atlases Globes maps and National Geographic Magazines on October 7th hirs and his best friend honor went to a music festival in the south of Israel it was advertised as celebrating peace love and unity they also went to celebrate hsh's 23rd birthday as Rockets began to fall hirsh anir and 27 other young Festival goers took refuge in a 5T by 8T bomb shelter terrorists began to throw grenades into the shelter anir stood in the doorway and repelled seven of those grenades before the eighth one killed him all together at the Nova Music Festival 367 Young music lovers were killed this was just one of the many attacks on neighborhoods and communities in southern Israel on that terrible day in total 1,200 were killed including 45 Americans hersh's left forearm his dominant arm was blown off before he was loaded onto a pickup truck and stolen from his life and me and John into Gaza and that was 320 days ago since then we live on another planet anyone who is a parent or has had a parent can try to imagine the anguish and misery that John and I and all the hostage families are enduring Rachel and I are comforted to be back in our Sweet Home Chicago we were both born and raised here and our families still live here this is a political convention but needing our only son and all of the cherished hostages home is not a political issue it is it is a humanitarian issue the families the families of the American eight hostages meet every few weeks in Washington we're heartened that both Democratic and Republican leaders demonstrate their bipartisan support for our hostages being released we've met with President Biden and vice president Harris numerous times at the White House they're both working tirelessly for a hostage and ceasefire deal that will bring our precious children mothers fathers spouses grandparents and grandchildren home and will stop the despair in Gaza we are all deeply grateful to them we're also profoundly thankful to you the millions of people in the United States and all over the world who have been sending love support and strength to the hostage families you've kept us breathing in a world without [Music] air there is a surplus of Agony on all sides of the tragic conflict in the Middle East in a competition of pain there are no win ERS in our Jewish tradition we sayam every person is an entire universe we must save all these universes [Music] in an inflamed Middle East we know the one thing that can most immediately release pressure and bring calm to the entire region a deal that brings this diverse group of9 hostages home and ends the suffering of the innocent civilians in Gaza the time is now her H if you can hear us we love you stay strong survive home [Music] the