Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., told Newsmax on Tuesday that the hostage crisis involving about 50 Israelis being held captive by Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists is not just reminiscent of the Holocaust, it is the Holocaust.
Concerns over the treatment of the remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip arose after Hamas released photos and video of an extremely emaciated Israeli, Evyatar David, which included him digging his own grave. He was kidnapped at the Nova Music Festival in southern Israel during Hamas' terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and is among the 27 hostages presumed to be alive. About 50 total hostages remain in Hamas captivity.
Evyatar David's plight came amid the international community reacting to reports about a famine arising in Gaza because of the lack of aid being distributed to Palestinians.
"Let's not forget, Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, and everything that is taking place in Gaza right now is a direct result of that period," Van Orden told "Ed Henry The Briefing." "Only about 43 trucks out of 1,050 of aid that was brought into Gaza actually got to the people. The rest were hijacked by Hamas. So, if you don't want people to starve in Gaza, kill Hamas, get rid of them, get the food, the aid, to the people that need it right now.
"And this hostage thing. It's not sort of like the Holocaust; it is the Holocaust. [This] is the 21st century Holocaust. The last time that Jews were forced to dig their own graves was during the Holocaust, so we can never forget that."
Evyatar David's brother, Ilay David, spoke via video Tuesday at a United Nations Security Council meeting to discuss the situation in Gaza and the hostages. Van Orden said this could mark a turning point after Ilay David called on the international community to take action for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages, for humanitarian aid for the hostages, and to "recognize that this is a matter of life and death requiring urgent medical intervention."
"The short answer is yes," Van Orden said regarding it being a turning point. "And that young man [Ilay David] was in my office in Washington, D.C., and told me face-to-face the story of his brother and it's absolutely heartbreaking.
"The United Nations? They are a corrupt organization. I don't trust them at all. So, if the United Nations is finally getting on board for doing what it is right by Israel and these hostages, that means it must be pretty damn bad."
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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