British Jews call on UK gov’t to secure Goldin’s release

The umbrella group representing British Jews on Friday urged the country’s government to do everything in its power to secure the release of Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier who spent some of his childhood in the UK, who is believed to be captured by Hamas.

Goldin, a 23-year-old second lieutenant in the Givati Brigade, was feared seized on Friday in the Rafah region amid exchanges of heavy fire between Hamas gunmen and IDF troops that erupted 1.5 hours after the the 8 a.m. local time start of a ceasefire brokered by the United Nations and the United States.

“The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council, on behalf of the UK Jewish community, would like to express our dismay and revulsion at the kidnapping of British-born Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin,” the board wrote in a statement. (Goldin was not born in the UK, but spent part of his childhood there with his family).

“We urge the government to show its support for the Goldin family and to speak out against this deplorable act by the terrorist group Hamas and do everything in its power to secure his release,” the board wrote.

The hostilities reportedly broke out after a powerful explosion of a charge that was strapped to a suicide bomber. Additional Hamas fighters engaged Israeli troops and apparently abducted Goldin. Two Israeli soldiers were killed in the engagement.