Families lobbying for soldiers’ bodies positive after Ban meet

The parents of soldiers killed in Gaza whose bodies remain in Hamas hands say a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “strengthened” them, but call on ministers to vote against a rapprochement agreement with Turkey when it goes before the top-level security cabinet tomorrow.

Simcha Goldin, father of Hadar Goldin, says Ban recognized that the issue was a humanitarian one. Goldin called on Israel to define the return of the bodies and two other Israeli captives as a humanitarian issue.

“This has given us a lot of strength,” he tells a press conference.

The families have been rallying for the release to be included in a deal with Ankara to normalize ties, though all Israel secured in the agreement was a Turkish promise to do what it could.

Zahava Shaul, whose son Oron’s remains are also being held, said ministers need to take the matter into account when they discuss the deal.

“You need to know if this is a humanitarian issue, we can move forward, so don’t sign the deal,” she says at the same press conference outside the Prime Minister’s Office. “If you sign, from our view, we wont think [well] of you anymore.”

Netanyahu is expected to face stiff opposition during the vote, which is non-binding.

According to Channel 2, only the prime minister, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri and Housing Minister Yoav Galant support the agreement, while Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked are opposed.

Still on the fence are three of Netanyahu’s Likud colleagues: Interior Minister Gilad Erdan, Jerusalem Minister Zeev Elkin and Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz.