NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Gov. Kathy Hochul’s father died Wednesday night as she was on a solidarity trip to Israel, and photos show the emotional moment the governor left a note at the Western Wall honoring the victims of the conflict and her late dad.
Jack Courtney, 87, died suddenly of a brain hemorrhage overnight in Florida, according to multiple reports.
During a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Thursday, Hochul, 65, left a note that prayed for peace and referenced her father's sudden passing, according to a photo from Luis Ferré-Sadurní, the New York Times’ Albany bureau chief who was covering her visit.
“As I stand at this holy site, I pray that the arc of the universe bend toward justice, and may God continue to protect us and guide us to a peaceful, violence-free future,” the governor wrote.
Her message continued: “I pray for the victims of the Hamas attack on Israel, their families and all the innocent civilians lost as a result. I pray for my father, who cherished his visit to this Holy Land, and who passed during the night.”
Hochul landed at Ben-Gurion International Airport around 5:40 p.m. Wednesday with a group of state police officers and top aides, according to a pool report. She was met at the airport by Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog.
Hochul received a security briefing then traveled about 30 minutes away to meet with families.
She is seen in an online video meeting and embracing volunteers at a food pantry, where the governor helped pack and drop off boxes for people who have had to move because of the conflict. Hochul said it was “extraordinary to see how Israelis are showing up for one another in a time of crisis.”
Hochul said her trip is meant to be a gesture of solidarity and support for Israel. New York is home to the largest Jewish population of any U.S. city, according to the American Jewish Population Project at Brandeis University.
A nonprofit organization is funding travel costs for Hochul and her staff, and the state is covering the costs for her security detail, a spokesperson for Hochul said on Wednesday.
“There is a deep, direct connection between New York state and Israel that has always been there, a bond steeled over decades,” Hochul said. “And it’s easy to go when the sun is shining and everything is fine.”
“The community feels, in Israel and in New York, that my going during these times will be the most significant symbol of their importance to us than anything else we could do,” she said.
President Joe Biden was also in Israel on Wednesday, though there’s no indication the two crossed paths.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.