Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents: Leaders dismissed us when we warned hostages could be executed

The parents of slain American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin say they were repeatedly dismissed by decision-makers when they warned of the possibility that their son and other Hamas captives would be executed if urgent action wasn’t take to free them.

“We had lots of meetings in the 330 days that we were actively in the struggle [for their release], and we challenged decision-makers. We said, ‘You’re lacking urgency.’ We need to bring these people home today. Why are you confident that we have time and that this isn’t going to lead to a situation where too much [Israeli] military pressure [will] lead to captors lining up hostages, shooting them one by one in the head,'” says Jon Polin.

“And we were told by people all over the place, ‘No, no, it’s not going to end like that.’ We asked that very question: ‘Why won’t it end this way?’ We were immediately told each time… They’re an asset. There are reasons why it’s not going to that way,'” he tells Channel 12 in an interview alongside his wife Rachel Goldberg. It is their first interview since Hersh’s body was found with those of five other hostages. The IDF believes that their captors executed them upon fearing that Israeli troops were closing in on them in late August.