Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL)
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) and Congressman Max Miller (OH-07) led a bipartisan letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee endorsing the nomination of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
The bipartisan letter recognizes the Hostage and Missing Families Forum’s unwavering advocacy for hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. It also highlights the Forum’s extraordinary humanitarian leadership, including efforts to maintain international focus on hostages’ fates, providing essential support to affected families, and advocating accountability for these barbaric crimes. The letter was signed by an additional 13 members of Congress from both sides of the aisle.
“In the wake of Hamas’ barbaric attacks, the families of those taken hostage or missing channeled their grief into action—mobilizing a remarkable global movement to keep their loved ones at the forefront of diplomatic negotiations, demanding accountability, and advocating for all those suffering the devastations of war,” said Rep. Schneider. “By honoring the Hostages and Missing Families Forum with a Nobel Peace Prize, the Nobel Committee would reaffirm the fundamental truth that every life is sacred and that the world cannot look away.”
“I wholeheartedly support this initiative to recognize the Hostages and Missing Families Forum for their unwavering advocacy and leadership,” said Rep. Miller. “Their courage in the face of immense hardship is a beacon of hope and a powerful reminder that no life should be forgotten. Honoring their efforts with the Nobel Peace Prize would be a testament to the strength of those who fight for justice, dignity, and the return of their loved ones.”
Congressman Schneider formally nominated the Forum in January. The bipartisan letter was endorsed by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Action, Hadassah – The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, J Street, Jewish Federations of North America, National Council of Jewish Women, and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.
Additional members of Congress who signed onto the letter include Reps. Don Bacon, Wesley Bell, Donald Davis, Rosa DeLauro, Daniel Goldman, Josh Gottheimer, Thomas Kean, Greg Landsman, Brad Sherman, Greg Stanton, Thomas Suozzi, Juan Vargas and Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
The full text of the letter is available here and below.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee
Henrik Ibsens gate 51
0255 Oslo, Norway
Dear Members of the Nobel Committee:
Every year, the Nobel Peace Prize honors those whose actions illuminate the path toward justice and human dignity. This year, there is no group more deserving of this recognition than the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
Through unfathomable anguish and heartbreak, these families have become the conscience of the world, steadfastly reminding the world that their loved ones are not bargaining chips or statistics, but human beings—each with names, stories, and families waiting to embrace them. Undaunted by the horrors of their loved ones’ captivity and the dashed hopes of promised rescue agreements always just over the horizon, the members of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum have not only shown extraordinary grace and humanity, they have helped the world see the humanity of all those suffering the devastation of war. As Jon Polin, the father of murdered hostage Hersh Goldberg Polin so eloquently said, “in a competition of pain, there are no winners.”
The world must forever remember October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise invasion into Israel, barbarically torturing, raping and mutilating innocent civilians—ultimately murdering more than 1,000 people and abducting more than 250 others, including children, the elderly, and entire families. The atrocities committed that day and the suffering endured since defy comprehension. The families of the hostages could have understandably succumbed to despair. Instead, they built a movement. Within 24 hours, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum emerged as a rallying cry for all humanity.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has heroically demanded action from governments, international organizations, and civil society, ensuring that the hostages are not forgotten amid the broader geopolitical calculus. They have organized rallies, briefed world leaders and driven a global effort that has kept the hostages’ fate at the forefront of diplomatic negotiations. Through sheer will and perseverance, they have cast a hopeful light in a time of unbearable darkness.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum’s work goes beyond advocacy. They have provided essential psychological and medical support to families shattered by loss and uncertainty. They have fought to hold Hamas accountable in courts of law and public opinion. Their efforts to define these heinous crimes as violations of international law and to seek justice for the hostages are crucial for building international solidarity. In a world where terror thrives in the shadows, they have forced daylight upon it.
The Nobel Peace Prize has long honored those who elevate humanity’s highest ideals in the face of oppression. In honoring the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the Committee would reaffirm a fundamental truth: that every life is sacred, that no act of terror can erase our shared humanity, and that the pursuit of justice must never waver. Their nomination is not just about the hostages. It is about the essential principle that the world cannot look away.
We, the undersigned Members of the United States Congress, urge you to honor those who have refused to let the world forget. The families of the hostages did not choose this fight, but they have carried it with grace, determination, and an unwavering belief that justice must prevail. There can be no more fitting recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize.
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