On Wednesday, Joe Biden left for a weeklong vacation in the Caribbean. Less than a day later, we learned that a second American hostage in Gaza was confirmed dead. According to Israel National News, “Kibbutz Nir Oz announced today (Thursday) that Judi Weinstein, a 70-year-old woman who was believed kidnapped on October 7, was in fact murdered by terrorists the day of the massacre and her body has been held in Gaza for nearly three months.”
Judi is survived by four children and seven grandchildren. She dedicated her career to teaching English, specializing in working with children facing special needs, attention, and concentration issues. Additionally, she provided support to children dealing with anxiety and depression resulting from the constant threat of rockets from Gaza. Judi’s husband, Gadi Haggai, 73, also an Israeli-American, was confirmed last week to have died soon after being taken hostage by Hamas.
“Jill and I are devastated to learn that American Judith Weinstein is also believed to have been killed by Hamas on October 7,” a statement the White House released Thursday and attributed to Joe Biden reads. “This tragic development cuts deep, coming on the heels of last week’s news that Judith’s beloved husband, Gad Haggai, is believed to have been killed by Hamas. We are holding Judith and Gad’s four children, seven grandchildren, and other loved ones close to our hearts. I will never forget what their daughter, and the family members of other Americans held hostage in Gaza, have shared with me. They have been living through hell for weeks. No family should have to endure such an ordeal. And I reaffirm the pledge we have made to all the families of those still held hostage: we will not stop working to bring them home.”
“Today, we are praying for their four children, seven grandchildren, and other loved ones and are grieving this tragic news with them,” Biden continued. “And I reaffirm the pledge we have made to all the families of those still held hostage: we will not stop working to bring them home.”
Hamas is believed to have approximately 129 hostages in Gaza, with 118 identified as Israeli citizens or dual citizens. Tragically, 23 of them are believed to have lost their lives in captivity, according to The Wall Street Journal. A previous short-term truce between Hamas and Israel facilitated the release of over 100 hostages. However, this truce concluded prematurely when Hamas violated the terms of the agreement.
Last month, Biden desperately sought credit for the four-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and the hostages that Hamas released as part of the deal.
“Beginning this morning, under a deal reached by extensive U.S. diplomacy, including numerous calls I’ve made from the Oval Office to leaders across the region, fighting in Gaza will halt for four days,” Biden declared. “This deal also is structured to allow a pause to continue for more than 50 hostages to be released. That’s our goal.”
“From the moment Hamas kidnapped these people, I, along with my team, have worked around the clock to secure their release,” he added later.
Unfortunately, Biden’s efforts have done little to achieve any more progress, and Biden has faced criticism for the release of so few American hostages. The first American who was released as part of that ceasefire agreement, 4-year-old Abigail Mor Edan, turned out to be the great-niece of Liz Hirsh Naftali, a big-time Democratic donor, Biden campaign donor, and a Biden appointee who also bought one of Hunter Biden’s pieces of “art.”
Related: The Released American Hostage’s Curious Ties to the Bidens
It feels like Biden’s interest in securing the release of more hostages has waned since getting the great-niece of a donor freed. And now, Biden is off on yet another vacation even as hostages remain in Hamas custody.