Joe Biden met with the families of Americans held hostage by Hamas on Wednesday. The only other time he spoke with them was by telephone a few days after October 7.

The families wanted to be invited to the White House Hanukkah celebration earlier this week but their invitations never arrived. As a quickly arranged consolation visit, Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and Jon Finer, the president’s principal deputy national security adviser met with the families at the White House. Joe Biden played host. The closed door meeting lasted over an hour. It took place in the Diplomatic Room during the seventh day of Hanukkah. Biden gave them a tour of the Oval Office, his private office, the Cabinet Room, and he took photos with everyone. The great-aunt of four-year-old Avigail Idan, the little girl who was released after 50 days in captivity, gave the president a photo of Avigail as a gift. Liz Naftali said, Avigail is “a light in this very dark time.” She asked people around the world to pray for Biden, the Pope, and others who are pushing for the release of the hostages. One family member gave Biden a menorah.

The president who promised the most transparency ever did not have the meeting on his public schedule. It also was not disclosed that Ms. Naftali purchased Hunter Biden’s artwork and is a Democrat donor appointed to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad in July 2022. She was recommended by Nancy Pelosi and allegedly the purchase of Hunter’s artwork had nothing to do with her appointment.

The families put a happy face on the meeting. So far Biden hasn’t produced much in the way of results but there is always hope. These families are clinging on tightly to hope.

“We have no better friend in Washington or in the White House than President Biden himself,” said Jonathan Dekel-Chen, one of roughly a dozen people who met with Biden and other top aides. “They are willing and ready to do all that they possibly can, by any number of means to get the hostages out.”

“We know that they are working 24 hours a day, and they are going to work through the holidays,” said Liz Naftali.

“And they are going to do everything they can to make sure that all of our loved ones — real people — come home to us and to the families across the world and in Israel.”

The family members said they agreed not to give descriptions of the meeting. They stood as a group on the White House driveway and spoke to the press after their meeting.

In a statement, the families said: “It has been 68 long days since the terrorists of Hamas took our family members captive. They are suffering from torture, gunshot wounds, broken bones, blown-off limbs, and we know they are not getting medicine or enough to eat.”

They added: “Every day, we worry that they are dying a little bit more. We implore our government, the Israeli government, and governments around the world to find a way to bring them home before it is too late.”

Last week Biden said that his administration is trying to negotiate another pause in the war. They are talking to officials in Qatar. Qatar is serving as a mediator between Israel and Hamas. NSA Jake Sullivan is scheduled to travel to Israel today. He will meet with the Israeli government and its war cabinet.

Let’s hope their “friend” Joe Biden comes through for them.