October 7 Changed Everything—For Hostage Families, the IDF, and the Jewish Diaspora

On this episode of the Mael Time Podcast, Daniel Mael sits down with Ruby Chen, the father of fallen IDF soldier Itay Chen, for a raw, unsparing conversation about grief, truth, and moral responsibility after October 7. This is not a political talking-point episode. It is a reckoning. Ruby speaks with clarity about what hostage families endured, how political interests distorted their fight to bring loved ones home, and why unity among families mattered more than ideology. He confronts leadership failures head-on, calls for an independent investigation, and challenges both Israel and the diaspora to stop hiding behind slogans and start telling the truth. This is the voice of a father who lost everything—and still insists that Israel must be better than its excuses.Please visit this site to learn about Itay and how you can help honor his memory: www.rememberingitay.com