Heart-searing moment parents of American Hamas hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, break down as they beg their son to ‘survive’ and call for a ceasefire deal to end the ‘surplus of agony on all sides’

The parents of an American taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 attack on Israel burst into tears at the DNC last night, pleading with their son to “survive” and calling for a ceasefire.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, lost his left hand and part of his arm in a grenade explosion when he was kidnapped from the Nova Festival, where he was celebrating his birthday, last year and taken hostage by terrorists.

His parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, told thousands of Democratic delegates in a 10-minute speech last night about the suffering of the past 320 days because of the “competition of pain” in the Middle East.

Polin-Goldberg, overcome with emotion as she stood onstage, told her son, “Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you, stay strong, survive.”

The couple pleaded for the release of the dozens of people still held captive in Gaza and called for a ceasefire to end the ‘excess agony on all sides of the tragic conflict in the Middle East’.

They also announced they met with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who are “both working tirelessly” toward a ceasefire and hostage deal that will “bring our precious children, mothers, fathers, husbands, grandparents and grandchildren home.”

The couple, who wore a sticker with the number 320 to draw attention to the number of days their son had been incarcerated, were greeted with prolonged applause and chants of “bring him home” by the thousands of Democratic delegates attending the convention in Chicago.

Goldberg-Polin addressed the crowd, noting that “right now” there are “109 precious people being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.”

“They are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists. They come from 23 different countries,” she said, noting that the youngest is a year old and the oldest is an 86-year-old grandfather.

“Among the hostages are eight American citizens. One of those Americans is our only son. His name is Hersh, he is 23 years old.”

She shared personal details about her “respectful and curious” son, highlighting his sense of humor and his love of music and travel, as well as his support for the Hapoel Jerusalem soccer team.

Goldberg-Polin recounted how Hersh and his best friend Aner went to the Nova music festival on October 7 last year, which was “billed as a celebration of peace, love and unity” in honor of his 23rd birthday.

She told how Hersh, Aner and 27 others took refuge in a 5-by-8-foot shelter as rockets were fired over their heads.

“Terrorists began throwing grenades into the bunker. Aner stood in the doorway and deflected seven of the grenades before the eighth killed him. Hersh’s left forearm, his dominant arm, was blown off before he was loaded into a pickup truck and stolen from his life, and mine and John’s, to Gaza.”

That was 320 days ago. “We’ve been living on a different planet ever since,” the mother added with tears in her eyes.

Her husband, who also addressed the audience, added: “This is a political convention. But that our only son – and all the cherished hostages – should be home is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue.”

The couple paid little attention to politics in their 10-minute speech, but Polin said the families of the American hostages meet regularly in Washington and are pleased with the bipartisan support for the release of their loved ones.

Delegates from the “non-committed” movement, which emerged out of dissatisfaction with Biden’s handling of the war between Israel and Hamas, told reporters late last night that authorities had rejected their request to have a Palestinian speak at the convention.

The group of 36 delegates carries outsize influence because they come from crucial states like Michigan, which is part of the so-called “blue wall” that is crucial to the Democrats’ chances in November.

The movement’s leaders spent weeks negotiating with Harris’ campaign and conference organizers, and a panel met Monday afternoon to discuss family members killed or wounded in the Israeli offensive.

“I have asked the vice president to call us back and tell us that the oppression of Palestinian Americans has no place in the Democratic Party and that a Palestinian speaker will be on this stage,” said Abbas Alawieh, co-founder of the Uncommitted National Movement. “I am waiting for the call.”

US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on conference organizers to make room for a Palestinian speaker.

“Just as we must honor the humanity of hostages, we must also center the humanity of the 40,000 Palestinians killed by Israeli bombardments,” the New York lawmaker wrote on the X platform. “To deny that story is to participate in the dehumanization of Palestinians.”

There are still more than 100 hostages in Gaza, though some are believed to be dead. Family members of six of the eight American hostages still held by Hamas were in Chicago to raise awareness about the plight of their loved ones.

Ronen and Orna Neutra, the parents of hostage Omer Neutra, were invited to speak at the Republican Party convention last month.

“Time is running out,” Ronen Neutra told reporters at the convention. “And all the leaders need to work together in a bipartisan way to put pressure on both Hamas and the Israeli government and reach a deal that is long overdue, long overdue.”

On Tuesday, several pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested after they clashed with police during a protest that started in front of the Israeli consulate and spread to surrounding streets.

Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday as the United States presses Israel and Hamas to agree to a “bridge proposal” that could lead to a ceasefire in the Gaza war.