Netanyahu left my son’s name out of his UN speech. That’s when I walked out

This is the second year I’ve made the trip to the UN to hear Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before the General Assembly. And I was full of anticipation, especially after President Donald Trump’s remarks stressing the urgency of freeing all of the 48 hostages still in Gaza and of realizing his vision for a new, stable, and peaceful Middle East.

It didn’t start well. As the prime minister entered the hall, dozens of UN delegates from around the world walked out, a coordinated move that begged the question: How on earth did Israel arrive at such a dismal place in the international arena?

On October 8, 2023, the Jewish state seemed to have the backing of the entire world as it began to fight back against Hamas. Now, only a small handful of countries were willing to sit in the UN chambers and hear the Israeli prime minister speak. It was a painful reminder that our prime minister, despite having had nearly two years to do so, has not been able to accomplish what he set out to do: destroy Hamas and bring the hostages home.

To his credit, the prime minister’s speech began with mentioning the hostages. For a moment, I felt he finally understood what mattered most. He started reading out their names, and I waited for him to read the name of my son, Itay Chen, into the record. But after 20 names, he stopped. I was stunned.

Why, on the world’s biggest stage, did he not mention my son’s name? My son. My Itay, who was killed fighting off Hamas terrorists who were on their way to murder Israeli civilians? Is my son less of a hostage? Does Netanyahu see him as invisible, not worthy of bringing home?

I was overwhelmed with grief, and, honestly, rage. I wanted to scream out Itay’s name to the chamber.  But I didn’t. Maybe I was too well-raised, I don’t know. But I could not just sit there.

So I walked out.

I chose not to show Netanyahu the respect of hearing the rest of his speech. Outside the UN, I joined the families of the other hostages and supporters who were holding a solidarity rally, many of them American citizens, who gather every week in Central Park.

Even now, days later, I still cannot understand why the prime minister failed to mention all the hostages’ names. Is he subtly admitting that he is no longer focused on bringing everyone home? Is he saying that each individual hostage is no longer important? That they have no names? No families longing to get them back?

In Judaism, we spend the days leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, reflecting on how we will stand before God in judgment. I truly hope the prime minister takes these days to do his own soul-searching and apologize to the families whose loved ones he failed to name.

For my part, I pray that in his meetings with President Trump, Netanyahu will genuinely work to secure the return of all of the hostages, the end of the war, and the beginning of a new Middle East.