US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) reaffirmed the US commitment to securing the release of the remaining hostages to several hostage families during a Congressional Delegation visit to the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem on Monday, marking 500 days since the October 7 massacre.
“The number one priority of the US government—Democrat and Republican—is to get [the hostages] out, to help your government negotiate for their release, every last one of them," Graham said. "I appreciate President Trump being strong on this, as well as the prime minister of Israel. This is your policy. This is our policy—Democrats and Republicans alike—to push for the release of every last hostage. We will do our best.”
The delegation to the museum included seven other senators, including Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Andy Kim (D-NJ). US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus was also part of the delegation.
The lawmakers toured the museum’s "06:29- From Darkness to Light" exhibition, which featured holographic testimonies of survivors and hostage families and was presented by the museum's Managing Director Jonathan Riss.
At the exhibit, the hostage family members the delegation met included Sharon Sharabi, whose brother Yossi died in captivity while his other brother, Eli, was released earlier this month, as well as Sigal Mansuri, who lost her two daughters, Norel and Roya, and Norel’s fiancé, Amit Cohen at the Nova Music Festival.
'A critical time'
Sharon Sharabi expressed gratitude to the US government, emphasizing the urgency of the moment: “This is a critical time, a tiny window of opportunity to save all the hostages, to bring them home. We rely on you, the US government, which is making every effort to bring them back.”
After hearing the harrowing accounts, Graham assured the families, “There’s a lot of division in America, but not over this.”
Speaking on the 500th day of war and ongoing hostage captivity, Graham declared, “Here I am, in Israel, 500 days after the second largest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust. Evil must be confronted, deterred, and destroyed—it will always return if we are not vigilant.”
At the Room of Hope, the exhibition’s final section, thousands of glowing notes from visitors line the walls, symbolizing prayers and aspirations for a better future. In a show of solidarity, the senators wrote messages to hostage families and victims' loved ones.
Graham has been a long-standing ally for Israel in Congress, playing a pivotal role in the previous Trump administration’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the US embassy.
The delegation’s visit coincided with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s trip to the region. In a press conference in Jerusalem yesterday, Rubio emphasized the urgent need for the immediate release of all hostages, stating unequivocally, “The hostages need to come home. They need to be released. That must happen. It’s not optional.”