New York Governor Kathy Hochul delivered a passionate speech calling for the return of Israeli hostages and affirming the state’s enduring solidarity with Israel at the Israel Day parade.
“Thank you to all of the supporters of Israel who are gathered here today,” she began, energizing the crowd. “Make your voices heard. I want them to hear you across the ocean.”
Quoting President John F. Kennedy, she tied the rally’s theme to Israel’s founding vision. “Let them know, as John Kennedy—if you allow me to quote another Irish Catholic, because that’s what I am, ‘Israel in 1960 was the child of hope.’ That is the theme of our parade.”
She praised the resilience of the Israeli people: “They said they will always overcome adversity because, my God, they are resilient people. They were tested then at the birth of this nation. And they're continuing to be tested today.”
Reflecting on the ongoing hostage crisis following the October 7 Hamas attack, she recalled her visit to Israel shortly after the kidnappings. “As I said last year, speaking about the hostages, I went there and I met Keith's family in Israel days after they were taken hostage. We gathered, all of us went together, and we said, ‘We will not rest until every single one of them is brought home.’”
Her voice grew more emotional as she highlighted the heartbreaking duration of the crisis: “Never in the wildest dreams did I think that 589 days later there’d still be 60 hostages waiting to come home, some alive and some have not made it.”
She closed with a rallying cry that echoed across the crowd: “My God, we will not rest until these three words become a reality. Bring them home. Bring them home. Bring them home. We’re going to continue supporting Israel always here in the great state of New York.”
The parade will be followed by the annual Jerusalem Conference at the Fifth Avenue Synagogue in New York City. Registration at the entrance.