A Father's Tribute: Steve Witkoff Gifts Son's Necklace to Freed Hostage Edan Alexander
Jewish Breaking News : May 14, 2025
Jewish Breaking News
Appointed by President Trump as a special envoy, Witkoff played a crucial role in Edan's release. Working behind the scenes with intermediaries and international partners—including Qatar—he helped lead the backchannel negotiations that ultimately brought Edan home after 584 harrowing days in Gaza.
[JewishBreakingNews.com] In a moment that rose above politics, war, and even time itself, real estate mogul and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff stepped into the hospital room of 20-year-old Edan Alexander—the last American hostage freed from Hamas captivity. (Screengrab image: via X-American Jewish Committee)
Quietly, he removed the necklace from his neck—a simple silver chain holding a Star of David. He had worn it every day for almost 15 years.
"This belonged to my son," Witkoff said gently.
That son was Andrew Witkoff, who tragically died in 2011 at the age of 22 from an opioid overdose while trying to rebuild his life at a sober-living facility in California. Since then, Steve Witkoff has carried Andrew's memory close to his heart—literally—wearing his necklace as a symbol of grief, love, and the unbreakable bond between father and son.
But on this day, he placed that legacy around the neck of someone else.
"You would be doing my son a great honor if you continue to wear it," he told Edan, whose body was still healing from captivity—and whose soul was just beginning to rediscover freedom.
The necklace now carries more than metal. It carries a father's sorrow, a son's memory, and through Edan, a new purpose.
Witkoff's journey from grieving father to diplomat has been shaped by pain and purpose, which he spoke about at the RNC convention in 2024.
Appointed by President Trump as a special envoy, Witkoff played a crucial role in Edan's release. Working behind the scenes with intermediaries and international partners—including Qatar—he helped lead the backchannel negotiations that ultimately brought Edan home after 584 harrowing days in Gaza.
In handing over Andrew's necklace, Witkoff gave Edan more than a gesture. He gave him a piece of his soul—a symbol of resilience, remembrance, and the healing power of human connection.
Two lives now forever linked by tragedy—and hope. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here
[Reprinted with permission]