Joe Biden has been claiming credit for the release of the hostages who were held by Hamas and have been released so far. It’s hard to know exactly what role he played, if any, given his history for puffery. As we’ve noted, Biden has somehow managed to achieve more and varied things than Forrest Gump. At least in his mind. But whatever the story, it’s great that some are now getting out from the clutches of the terrorists. However, so far, only one American hostage has been released, four-year-old Avigail (Abigail) Idan.
I wrote about how Biden made the announcement that little Avigail had been released. His statement started out good but then turned a bit creepy when he talked about wanting to hold the child.
But it turns out there is an interesting connection to Biden that you may pick up on if you read this description from CBS that our sister site Townhall picked up on.
She’s free and she’s in Israel now,” Mr. Biden said, adding that Abigail has “been through a terrible trauma.” The child’s mother was killed in front of her by Hamas militants before her father was also gunned down while using his body to shield Abigail from the attack. Abigail then ran to neighbors for help, Mr. Biden said.
“What she endured is unthinkable,” he said.
Abigail’s great-aunt, Liz Hirsh Naftali, and her cousin, Noa Naftali, said in a statement Sunday, “We hoped and prayed today would come. There are no words to express our relief and gratitude that Abigail is safe and coming home.”
If the name “Liz Hirsh Naftali” sounds familiar, it should.
Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali is one identified buyer of Hunter Biden’s art.
As I wrote back in July, she’s a Los Angeles real-estate investor and philanthropist, who is influential in California Democratic circles and has donated money to Joe Biden. She also got a plumb position from Biden.
Naftali was appointed to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad in July 2022, eight months after Hunter’s first art opening. It’s not clear when the purchase was made — whether it was before or after the appointment.
As I noted then:
In the past, Hunter Biden has privately suggested that he could arrange to have friends seated on the commission. Eric Schwerin, Hunter Biden’s longtime business associate, was appointed to the same post by President Barack Obama in 2015.
I wrote how the House Oversight Committee was seeking information from Naftali. The Committee has dropped a subpoena on her. So we will have to see what if anything she has to say to the Committee about the matter.
There are still about ten American hostages being held. When Biden spoke about Avigail he indicated he didn’t know their status. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that some of the hostages being held may have been transferred to “other groups.” We reported about how the little Israeli hostage ten year old Kfir Bibas and his four year old brother Ariel, had been transferred to another terrorist group which was allegedly balking at releasing them.
