American hostage father tells 'Post' about photo with AOC: I'm glad she put politics aside

On Tuesday morning as an event for New York City delegates wrapped up before the second day of the Democratic National Convention, Ruby Chen, father of 19-year-old Israeli-American Itay Chen whose remains were taken into Gaza after being killed on October 7, approached Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 

Ocasio-Cortez's criticism of Israel and calls for a ceasefire have been frequent since October 7, drawing ire from the American right. 

On the far left, the Democratic Socialists of America dropped its endorsement of Ocaso-Cortez after she hosted a panel discussion on antisemitism. 

On Monday, leftwing bashing of Ocasio-Cortez intensified when addressed the DNC and said Harris was “working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bringing hostages home.”

On Tuesday, politics aside, the Brooklyn-born Chen approached Ocasio-Cortez as a fellow New Yorker. 

"What I know from 9/11, we New Yorkers, we stand together," Chen told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday night, speaking from inside the convention hall of the DNC. "And I asked her, 'Are you standing with me on this? And she immediately was very positive towards the dialog that we had."

Chen asked AOC for a follow-up meeting

In their private conversation, Chen said he asked Ocasio-Cortez to have a follow-up conversation or meeting. 

He also asked Ocasio-Cortez for a picture, which he said she was more than willing to do. 

"As a New Yorker, I think she stood up, as I would have hoped, to be with us and be willing to take a picture, which is the beginning of a dialog that I hope will become a healthy dialog," he said. 

The photo rapidly spread across Israeli and progressive US social media. 

"AOC standing by the mass murderers of my people, this behavior is unforgivable," one post on X said. 

"AOC looks like she's being held hostage," another said. 

On Reddit, one user wrote, "She voted NOT to condemn Hamas for 10/3 .... sorry, no joy from me~."

"I mean, a single photo does not undo the fact that she sucks and consistently lands on the opposite side of the Jewish community," another Reddit user said in response. 

On a different thread on X, one post said, "I wonder if Mr. Chen knows that AOC cried after instead of voting against Iron Dome she felt pressured to vote 'present.'"

Chen acknowledged the internet backlash to the photo. 

"And even though all of the responses that went on [X], I still believe at the end of the day there's suffering, and there's not a competition on suffering. All of us are suffering, and this needs to come to an end," Chen said. "And I think that [AOC] feels the same way."

Chen told The Post he has "nothing to add about politics."

The American hostage families do not touch politics, he added.

"We are bipartisan," he said. "And I'm glad that AOC showed the willingness to put politics aside and understand the suffering of a family."