New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 87-year-old father died overnight while she was touring Israel; The emotional politician left a note in tribute to him at the Western Wall early Thursday.
“I pray for my father, who appreciated your visit to this Holy Land and who passed away during the night,” Hochul’s handwritten message read in part.
Hochul was dressed all in black to mourn her father John Courtney, who died of a brain hemorrhage in Florida on Wednesday night.
Courtney was an Irish Catholic who had previously visited Israel and encouraged her daughter to do the same.
Hochul arrived in Israel on Wednesday in a show of support for the country and its people following the deadly October 7 atrocity committed by Hamas terrorists.
Governor Kathy Hochul mourned the passing of her father during her visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Thursday. Shlomi Amsalem Hochul was dressed all in black to mourn her father John Courtney. Shlomi Amsalem Hochul’s father, John Courtney (right), died of a brain hemorrhage in Florida overnight. He was 87 years old. @KathyHochul
After meeting with families of hostages held in Gaza and with volunteers at a food pantry, the Democrat traveled to Jerusalem and spent the night there.
Visiting the Western Wall, known as Judaism’s holiest site, a somber Hochul wrote a letter praying for her father and the victims of the conflict ravaging the Middle East.
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According to tradition, Hochul stuck his letter into a crack in the ancient wall, the last vestige of the original retaining wall that surrounded the Second Temple built more than 2,000 years ago.
“As I stand in this sacred place, I pray that the arc of the universe bends toward justice and that God continues to protect us and guide us toward a peaceful future free of violence,” the governor wrote.
Hochul stuck his letter into a crack in the ancient wall according to tradition.
“I pray for the victims of Hamas’ attack on Israel, their families and all the innocent civilians lost as a result,” the note continues. “I pray for my father, who appreciated his visit to this Holy Land and who passed away during the night.”
After her visit to the Western Wall, Hochul, who is Catholic, made an unscheduled stop at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of Christianity’s holiest sites, despite the objections of her security team.
The governor headed to the place where Jesus is believed to have been crucified, buried and resurrected.
Courtney was an Irish Catholic who had previously visited Israel.@KathyHochul
Inside, Hochul went into a dark shrine above Christ’s empty rock-cut tomb, knelt and prayed.
The governor later visited Shaare Tzedek, a hospital in Jerusalem that treats people injured in Hamas attacks. After meeting with staff, Hochul visited several wounded Israelis.
Through a translator, a 21-year-old soldier told Hochul how he had rushed from his military base to rescue civilians and evacuate the wounded.
He was shot in the left leg during a shootout with two Hamas fighters who ambushed him while searching for survivors at the site of the deadly Supernova music festival.
The governor visited the wounded soldiers and their families. Kathy Hochul/X Hochul praised the “strong spirit” of Israelis and said they have “the right to defend themselves, period.” Kathy Hochul/X
“You are strong and the people you saved may never know who you are, but I will know that you saved people in their greatest moment of despair,” Hochul told her, taking her hands.
The governor later visited a team of volunteer first responders, before driving to Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s residence in Jerusalem for a meeting that was closed to the press.
He later gave a speech at the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations at the Waldorf Astoria.
In his speech, Hochul praised the resilience and “strong spirit” of Israelis, and said “they have the right to defend themselves, period.”
“Because if the aggressors are not stopped, if the forces of evil are not pushed back, they will continue to rise,” Hochul added.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn