Father of Missing American Serving in IDF Pleads with Biden ‘Not to Take a Back Seat’

The father of a missing American who serves in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called on the Biden administration “not to take a back seat” in the efforts to rescue Israeli Americans held hostage by Hamas terrorists.

Ruby Chen told reporters during a Monday press conference at a Tel Aviv hotel that the last time he spoke to his son, 19-year-old Itay Chen, was on Saturday morning, “where he said that they were under attack.” Itay Chen, who was born in New York City and is a dual citizen of the United States and Israel, serves in the IDF.

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“We know that he was active. We know that he was in communication for a while, but since then, silence. The formal indication that we received from the IDF is that he is defined as Missing in Action (MIA),” Ruby said.

Ruby said Itay’s MIA status means no one has been able to physically locate him, identify him, or say they have seen him since Saturday. It also means Itay is not in a hospital or counted among the deceased. Itay is believed to be among the more than 130 people kidnapped from Israel by Hamas terrorists now being held captive in the Gaza Strip, USA Today reported.

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Ruby said if his son has been taken into hostile territory, then he requests “for the U.S. government, as well as from the captives Hamas is to treat him as a POW [prisoner of war], should be treated according to international law, meaning having someone visit him, have the doctor to see him, have a U.N. representative see him as well.”

“We are asking the U.S. not to take a back seat. The U.S. has a lot of resources at its attention. It is able to do many things that can be different than what the Israeli government can do,” Ruby continued.

And we are asking on behalf of my family for President Biden, while we are sure his heart is in the right place when it comes to Israel, and the Secretary of State to do what they can to make this end for us as soon as possible, to become family — whole again.

According to USA Today, Corporal Itay Chen was on the Gaza border when Hamas terrorist began their horrific attack on Israel on Saturday morning.

“We are dealing with an organization that does not act in a civilized way… taking Holocaust survivors and small children as hostages,” says Ruby Chen, father of missing IDF soldier Itay Chen.

“We urge President Biden not to take a backseat here.” pic.twitter.com/A1w0oVsTAx

— MSNBC Reports (@MSNBC_reports) October 10, 2023

“He was raised in New York, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance each day and cheering on American sports. Itay Chen grew up a Los Angeles Lakers fan who adored Kobe Bryant while his dad rooted for the hometown New York Knicks,” according to the report. “Ruby Chen later moved his family to Israel, where he resides with his wife and three children in Netanya, north of Tel Aviv. Ruby remains a U.S. citizen and U.S. taxpayer.”

Ruby noted that Itay had stayed on base in Israel before the attack so that he could return home for his younger brother’s bar mitzvah over the weekend.

President Joe Biden on Monday said at least 11 Americans have been killed, and an unspecified number of Americans remain unaccounted for.

Young Israeli woman named Noa who was attending a music festival promoting peace near the Gaza border has been kidnapped by Hamas militants and driven away on a motorcycle. pic.twitter.com/IT5gSZkMjE

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) October 7, 2023

“While we are still working to confirm, we believe it is likely that American citizens may be among those being held by Hamas,” Biden said in a statement. “I have directed my team to work with their Israeli counterparts on every aspect of the hostage crisis.”

Hamas launched the terror attack early Saturday on Israel and has thus far killed more than 1,100 people and injured more than 3,400 people, according to reports. The attack occurred on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret, the last festival of the High Holy Day cycle.

More than 100 Israelis were also kidnapped to Gaza — including women, children, and the elderly, many of whom were abused during their abductions. The Palestinian terror attack against Israel has been referred to as the “worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.”

In response to the attack, the Israeli Airforce has struck at least 1,000 terror targets in Gaza. Israel has also mobilized 300,000 reservists in the past 48 hours as its forces continue strikes against Hamas terror targets in Gaza.