The Gist: Diane Foley on America’s Hostage Blind Spot

Date: October 4, 2025
Host: Mike Pesca, Peach Fish Productions
Guest: Diane Foley, Founder & President of the Foley Foundation

Episode Overview

In this poignant episode, Mike Pesca explores America’s unique relationship with its own hostages—why the U.S. public is less aware of or less invested in detained or kidnapped citizens as compared to more cohesive societies like Israel. The centerpiece of the show is an illuminating interview with Diane Foley, whose son James Foley was murdered by ISIS in 2014 and who has since become a leading activist for hostages and detainees through the Foley Foundation. They dissect the institutional blind spots, policy flaws, and emotional burdens surrounding Americans wrongfully held abroad.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

America’s Relative Indifference to Hostages

• Pesca explains how the U.S. public and government response to hostage situations is less urgent and cohesive compared to countries like Israel:

  • In Israel, hostages are central to national consciousness, with hostages’ names and stories universally known.
  • The U.S., even after several recent high-profile releases, barely registers these events in the collective awareness.
  • Quote:
    "All Israelis know their names, all Israelis know their stories... America doesn't about ours." (28:22)

• Recent examples: Releases of American hostages from the Taliban, with barely any media coverage or public reaction (29:07–30:00).

Diane Foley’s Personal Journey & Advocacy

• Initial government handling: Foley recounts being shocked by the lack of U.S. government urgency when her son James was held:

  • Minimal access to high-level officials; leadership deferred to mid-level FBI and State Department staff.
  • Consistently told James was the "highest priority," which was contradicted by inaction.
  • Quote:
    "I was shocked that the return of an American... is not a priority. It’s kind of a nuisance for our government because it interferes with our foreign policy." —Diane Foley (09:41)
  • Felt misled and ultimately angry at being told false assurances (11:13–13:10).

• Spark to action:

  • After James’s death, she co-founded the Foley Foundation to advocate for Americans kidnapped or detained abroad and promote journalist safety.
  • The nonprofit was partially responsible for pressuring the Obama administration to establish a U.S. “hostage enterprise” for coordinated response (13:40–16:05).

Evolution and Weaknesses in U.S. Policy

• Hostage Enterprise:

  • Established in 2015; included the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs and the Hostage Fusion Cell at the FBI.
  • Critical flaw: Focused only on hostages seized by non-state actors (criminals, terrorists), not wrongful detainees held by foreign states (16:11).

• Rise of State Actor Detentions:

  • Now, 95% of such cases involve wrongful detentions by foreign governments (e.g., Russia, Iran, China, Venezuela) (17:21).
  • This shift has significant impact on foreign policy and national security.

• Call for Reforms:

  • U.S. inter-agency response needs direct access to the executive branch—current layers of bureaucracy make swift action difficult (19:31–20:20).
  • The Robert Levinson Act lacks operational funding; returning hostages sometimes get billed for their own flights home. Families of detainees lack funds for advocacy trips to D.C. or to support their loved ones in foreign prisons (19:31–21:30).
  • The process for designating detainees as “wrongfully held” is too slow and opaque, sometimes taking years, leaving families stranded (21:30–23:37).
  • The U.S. needs much stronger deterrence so adversaries do not benefit from taking Americans hostage (21:30–22:36).

Notable Cases & Dilemmas

• Paul Whelan:

  • Officially declared a wrongful detainee, but his release remains elusive due to Russian intransigence (22:36).

• Brittney Griner:

  • Celebrity status led to a quicker wrongful detention designation, in contrast to several lesser-known Americans who've languished for years (24:32).
  • Quote:
    "Her, she was on the fast track... some people, like Paul Whelan, now it’s going to be near five years." —Diane Foley (24:32)

• Publicity vs. Discretion:

  • Foley advises families on the risks and benefits of going public. Media attention can help pressure governments, but can also make hostages more valuable to captors and subject to propaganda (25:43–26:27).

Societal & Cultural Contrast: Israel vs. America

• Pesca’s Reflection:
  • Israel’s cohesion and shared identity drive the nation to prioritize every single hostage.
  • The U.S.’s size and diversity, and perhaps overabundance of crises, diminish collective urgency.
  • There’s also “a strategic upside” to American indifference: the country is less susceptible to manipulative hostage-taking tactics, since it does not prioritize recovery as an overriding goal (32:26–35:23).
  • Quote:
    "In a way, a very cold blooded way, it’s an advantage. We can’t be manipulated by hostage taking... That is, I suppose, an upside of not feeling." —Mike Pesca (34:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Diane Foley on lack of government priority:

  "It was sad to them. A lot of people, I think, had compassion and were willing to listen... but I was really misled." (11:13)

• On policy reform:

  "Anyone dealing with hostage taking or the wrongful detention of our citizens needs to have clearer access to the Executive branch." (19:31)

• On inequities in attention:

  "Some cases aren’t prioritized the way others are, like Brittney Griner... but some people, like Paul Whelan, now it’s going to be near five years." (24:32)

• On the hard choice of publicity:

  "We publicized Jim's captivity... but it may well have increased his value for ISIS and therefore used it for propaganda." (25:56)

• Mike Pesca summing up the difference:

  "All Israelis know their names, all Israelis know their stories. All Israelis weep and grieve for them and prioritize them among their war aims. But wait, every country cares about their hostages. Do they?" (28:22)

Important Timestamps

• [09:20] Diane Foley joins, retells her initial shock at government indifference
• [11:13] Foley describes being misled by officials on the priority of her son’s case
• [13:40] Founding of Foley Foundation and pressure for federal hostage policy reform
• [16:11] Splitting hostages (terror groups) and wrongful detentions (state actors) in policy
• [17:21] Overwhelming rise of wrongful detention cases by foreign states
• [19:31] Foley outlines concrete policy reforms needed: executive access, funding, transparency
• [21:30] Discussion of delays and challenges in designating “wrongful detention”
• [22:36] Paul Whelan’s designation and Russia as a hostile actor
• [24:32] Discrepancies in public and governmental attention (Griner vs. others)
• [25:43] Advice to families on publicizing cases
• [28:22] Pesca’s analysis comparing Israeli and American hostage ethos
• [32:26] Potential upside (“cold-blooded advantage”) of U.S. indifference

Conclusion

This episode presents a sobering examination of America’s “hostage blind spot,” contrasting it against nations where citizens intuitively rally around hostages’ plights. Diane Foley’s account exposes disorganization, lack of support, and bureaucracy that families endure—yet also charts a path for meaningful reform and greater national accountability. As the conversation concludes, listeners are reminded of the human cost and the cultural factors that shape which citizens matter and which are forgotten—a question both urgent and unresolved.