Earlier this year, I wrote about the moment I learned my son was taken hostage. Last October – a few days after Hamas’ murderous rampage through Israel – a group of Israeli officials stood at my doorstep.

My 19-year-old son, Itay Chen, was taken captive while serving at the Gaza border. He was in the hands of terrorists who murdered, mutilated and raped hundreds of Israelis, but he was believed to be alive as there was no evidence to prove the alternative. So, there was reason for hope.

For five months, we lived off that hope. The hostage families established a nonprofit organization to coordinate all the hostage family efforts for 241 families from more than 40 nationalities, and I joined its executive steering committee. I have met presidents, chancellors and ambassadors; visited Qatar, Germany and, of course, Washington, D.C., to try to influence the decision-makers so that the next time an official showed up at my door, it would be cause for celebration. My son was coming home.........

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