New Jersey Resident Who Was Held Hostage in Iran Denounces Booker for Effort To Free Maryland Man Held in El Salvador

“Senator Booker is a hypocrite,” a New Jersey resident who once was held captive in Iran, Xiyue Wang, writes on X Wednesday after the New Jersey Democrat announced a plan to lead a delegation to El Salvador on behalf of a Maryland resident, Kilmer Abrego Garcia, who was deported to that Central America country. Mr. Wang was taken hostage in 2016 while on an Iranian trip, where he conducted research on Persian history for Princeton University. He was held at Tehran’s notorious Evin prison until his release in 2019. Two U.S. representatives, Chris Smith of New Jersey, a Republican, and Pramila Jayapal of Washington, a Democrat, “closely engaged with my family” while he was in captivity, Mr. Wang tells the Sun, “but Booker, as my senator, could certainly have done much more.”Mr. Wang’s wife, Hua Qu, ran into Mr. Booker on Capitol Hill during the time of his captivity, he says. She “introduced herself and asked for a meeting, but Booker said, ‘I don’t have time for this.’ She couldn’t schedule a meeting later either.” The senator’s trip to El Salvador, therefore, is a “partisan stunt,” Mr. Wang says. Appealing for Mr. Garcia’s freedom, but not doing so for his own constituent, is a “double standard.” The senator’s office did not respond by deadline to the Sun’s request for comment. Mr. Booker’s planned El Salvador trip is also raising eyebrows in Israel, where a Tenefly, New Jersey, native, Edan Alexander, is one of 59 hostages held in Gaza. Early this week Hamas produced a video in which a visibly anguished Mr. Alexander was heard sobbing and loudly pleading for his life. On Wednesday the terror organization announced that it had lost contact with his captors. Is Mr. Booker “going to Gaza next, to get Edan Alexander, a New Jersey resident American-Israeli held by HAMAS?” a Haifa University history professor, Sara Yael Hirschhorn, writes on X over a posting on the senator’s planned trip to El Salvador. “Where has he been for the past 18 months?”Mr. Booker is widely considered a defender of Israel, and an ally of American Jews. At the 19th hour of his April 1 record-setting 25-hour speech to Congress he donned a yellow ribbon, symbolizing concern for Gaza hostages. “I’m going to put this on as you have it on, as I think about Edan Alexander and all those who are suffering,” he said. The senator’s office declined Wednesday to comment on this week’s video of Mr. Alexander or the Hamas announcement of losing contact with the hostage. In contrast, two House members of New Jersey, Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill, made public comments on the latest cruel manipulation of the Gaza terrorist organization.“We will not rest until Hamas is crushed and all of the hostages, including the five Americans, are safely reunited with their loved ones,” Mr. Gottheimer told the Jewish Journal.Senator Van Hollen of Maryland said Wednesday that he had met with President Bukele of El Salvador in an attempt to return Mr. Garcia to Maryland. Mr. Booker said Wednesday he was organizing a Senate delegation of Democrats to also travel to the Central American country to plead for Mr. Garcia. Axios is reporting that House Democrats are also planning an El Salvador trip.______________Correction: Representative Chris Smith is a Republican. An earlier version misstated his party affiliation.

New Jersey Resident Who Was Held Hostage in Iran Denounces Booker for Effort To Free Maryland Man Held in El Salvador

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