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It’s been two agonizing weeks since Long Island residents RONEN and ORNA NEUTRA last spoke with their son, OMER, one of the Americans held hostage by Hamas. Last Saturday, they celebrated his 22nd birthday without him. They lit candles, watching them melt into the cake while they prayed.

The Neutras, dual U.S.-Israeli citizens, left Israel in 1999 amid surging violence, moving to New York City. Omer, the grandson of Holocaust survivors, was born just a month after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. His parents raised him in Long Island, where he went to Jewish day school.

After high school, Omer told them he wanted to spend time in the place they had left behind. He deferred acceptance to Binghamton University and moved to Israel.

President JOE BIDEN has vowed to continue to do everything in his power to bring American hostages home. And on Friday, he confirmed Hamas’ release of two U.S. citizens, a mother and daughter. The Neutras say they’ll continue to share Omer’s story — to ensure the urgency of the moment doesn’t fade. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Tell me about your son’s decision to go to Israel.

Orna: He wanted to experience his family, and he joined an educational leadership program that really brought him close to his Israeli peer group. [While there] he came to an understanding that his Israeli peers don’t have the choice that he has [at 18, all Israeli men are required to join the military for 32 months]. And he felt responsible, and that he needed to share in protecting the country and the people. 

It was during a Covid year, his program shut down and he came home. He was really struggling with this. He went back and decided he wanted to join the army. 

Ronen: Being the leader that he is, he quickly went up in the ranks. He was posted on the Gaza border to protect the Kibbutzim and the villages, a very agricultural area, with a very small group of soldiers that were under his supervision. 

Tell me about that last day you spoke with him. 

Orna: It was Shabbat in Israel, so we always speak. This was after a month around the Jewish holidays in Israel, and there was a lot of trouble along the border. It seemed that it was quieting down, which now we know was just a facade.  

It was a regular conversation, and he said, “OK, we’ll talk tomorrow.” And six hours later, we were about to go to sleep, and Ronen opened the news and was like, “Oh my god.” We tried to call him immediately, and he didn’t answer. It was a sleepless night. 

What do you know now about what happened to Omer?

Ronen: We knew pretty early on that he was probably taken, but it was that first Sunday night that a representative from the Israeli consulate knocked on our door and gave us an official notification that Omer is considered captive.  

As we know today, his small group was attacked. Later, there was footage that was posted by Hamas that our son and his team were pulled out of a tank in good condition and were taken as part of the close to 200 hostages. 

What have these two weeks been like for you? 

Orna: Every day has been like five days. It has turned our whole world upside down, and this has become our full-time job: To make sure it stays front and center — that Omer’s story is told. 

How have you felt about the president’s response? 

Ronen: Biden has been very responsive. We were invited to a Zoom call with President Biden and all 14 families. We were very impressed with the hour and 15 minutes that he gave us. Originally it should have been 10-15 minutes. He insisted on listening to us and sharing some details about his personal grief and dealing with situations like this.

Orna: And many other officials and dignitaries have reached out to us. Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, Rep. Ritchie Torres, Rep. Bruce Blakeman — I’m afraid we’re going to forget someone, but everyone has been on top of this. Even President Trump gave us a personal phone call. 

How often is the U.S. government updating you on the efforts to get your son home? 

Ronen: The State Department together with the FBI created a team of experts. Each one of the hostages has its own team. This team is reaching out to us almost on a daily basis, some in conference calls, some individual. Some of it is obviously sensitive material, but we feel that there is a great sense of urgency on the government’s side. 

Is there anything more you want to see from the U.S. government? 

Ronen: To some degree. There’s a lot of pressure on Israel to allow a humanitarian corridor from Egypt with supplies there to help the Palestinian population get what they need. I get it, there is great humanitarian need. 

We understand and sympathize with the people and all the families there, but we ask our leaders and politicians to use every leverage possible to get information — get a list of the people, their condition, let the Red Cross see them. And then, of course, work together with the international community to get them released.

What do you want to say to the people reading this? 

Orna: We realize that the world is moving on — there’s constantly new news. We need it to stay front and center until it’s resolved. We want to bring them home. 

Ronen: If anybody thinks that what happened in Gaza is a local event, I think they need to listen very carefully to what President Biden said last night. Don’t think that what happens there stays there.

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President FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT was superstitious of what number?

(Answer at bottom.)

First lady Jill Biden, center, watches as President Joe Biden speaks from the Oval Office Thursday about the wars in Israel and Ukraine. | AP/Andrew Harnik

‘WE WILL NOT STOP’: As noted above, American hostages JUDITH and NATALIE RAANAN were released on Friday. Biden, in a statement, said he was “overjoyed” that they will soon be reunited with family, and thanked the governments of Qatar and Israel for their “partnership in this work.”

“We have been working around-the-clock to free American citizens who were taken hostage by Hamas, and we have not ceased our efforts to secure the release of those who are still being held,” Biden said. “Jill and I have been holding close in our hearts all the families of unaccounted for Americans. And, as I told those families when I spoke with them last week — we will not stop until we get their loved ones home.”

RELATED: During a White House meeting with European leaders, Biden said the first shipment of humanitarian aid for Gaza should arrive within the next 48 hours. “The highway had to be repaved, and it was in very bad shape,” he said. Biden also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU on Friday about U.S. support for Israel, humanitarian assistance in Gaza and efforts to secure the release of hostages, according to a White House readout of the call.

SGOTUS, THE CONSOLER: Second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF visited Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School in Washington, D.C., on Friday to meet with students and teachers in the aftermath of Hamas’ attack. One of the students shared that the hostages had been on his mind and that he was having trouble processing what’s going on.

“You’ve seen things that you shouldn’t have to see,” Emhoff replied.

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: Twenty million Americans tuned in to Biden’s prime-time address Thursday night, Puck News’ DYLAN BYERS posted on X. ABC News scored the highest ratings with 4.5 million broadcast viewers, while Fox News led cable with 3.25 million.

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: This piece by CNN’s KATIE LOBOSCO about how the “Internal Revenue Service has collected $160 million in back taxes this year by cracking down on millionaires who haven’t paid what they owe.” Lobosco writes that the “recent effort to target high-income individuals has been boosted by an increase in federal funding provided by Democrats last year through the Inflation Reduction Act.” Assistant press secretary MICHAEL KIKUKAWA shared the piece on X.

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This piece by POLITICO’s ELENA SCHNEIDER and NICHOLAS WU about how Minnesota Rep. DEAN PHILLIPS is planning to launch a primary challenge to Biden later this month. The pair note that given New Hampshire’s plan to move forward with an unsanctioned primary ahead of South Carolina, Phillips could actually win the first Democratic primary contest — even if it doesn’t come with any DNC delegates.

PLEASE, NO MORE. WE CAN’T TAKE ANYMORE: We at West Wing Playbook pride ourselves on being straight shooters. Which is why we feel the need to be frank with our readers: TONY P must be stopped.

After the WaPo published a profile last month of the 25-year-old consultant who has gained a large social media following by posting very basic videos of his everyday life (sauteing chicken... brushing his hair… watching football), it’s been impossible to escape Tony P content. He’s been spotted on Capitol Hill. Sen. MARK WARNER (D-Va.) posted a *very, very* cringe video with him. He was even seen at the White House earlier this week.

A PSA to the White House digital team: whatever you might have recorded with this man, you absolutely, under no circumstances, should release it.

EXIT INTERVIEW: This week, JOSH PAUL, a senior State Department official, left his post over the administration’s approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Our NAHAL TOOSI spoke with Paul today to discuss his decision, in which he pointed to the lack of space for debate over how to handle the crisis.

“I attempted it on a number of occasions, in emails and conversations and discussions and meetings. But there was no response, ‘OK, got it. Let’s move on. We’re doing this,’” he tells Nahal.

PERSONNEL MOVES: DENNIS CHENG, the executive vice president at the Clinton Foundation, is expected to join the White House as deputy political director, Axios’ HANS NICHOLS and ALEX THOMPSON report.

ICYMI: The Biden campaign is expanding its communications team, The Messenger’s DAN MERICA first reported Thursday. SHEA NECHELES will serve as the campaign’s director of strategic communications, DANIEL WESSEL will join as a spokesperson and strategic communications adviser, SETH SCHUSTER will serve as a spokesperson for the rapid response team and BRIANNA STONICK will join as communications manager.

REQUEST DELIVERED: Biden on Friday sent Congress a $106 billion funding request that includes aid for Ukraine, Israel and funding for the U.S. southern border, our JENNIFER HABERKORN and ADAM CANCRYN report. His ask to lawmakers includes roughly $61 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel and comes as the House remains paralyzed without a speaker.

A TURNING POINT: Following Biden’s trip to Israel and Oval Office address, the president’s emphasis on foreign policy “could be viewed as a kind of reopening of Biden’s already troubled re-election campaign,” MICHAEL HIRSH writes for POLITICO. Amid ongoing concerns about Biden’s age, Hirsh writes the president’s allies may aim to portray both conflicts as an inflection point, while contrasting his performance on the world stage with GOP dysfunction.

Blinken acknowledges Mideast crisis taking toll on staff (POLITICO’s Nahal Toosi)

It Turns Out Joe Biden Is Actually In Charge of the Biden Administration (New York Mag’s Jonathan Chait)

Yes, the U.S. Can Afford to Help Its Allies (The Atlantic’s David Frum)

Roosevelt believed the number 13 was very unlucky. He wouldn’t travel on the 13th day of a month and would never host 13 guests at a dinner party, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

Thanks to the FDR Presidential Library and Museum for this question!

A CALL OUT! Do you think you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best one about the presidents, with a citation or sourcing, and we may feature it!

Edited by Eun Kyung Kim and Sam Stein.

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