Parents of fallen soldier held by Hamas make appeal at UN

Simcha and Leah Goldin, accompanied by Israel’s UN envoy Danny Danon, speak with ambassadors of several member states

By ToI Staff 8 September 2017, 11:42 pm

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Leah and Simcha Goldin with Ambassador Danon at the UN, September 8, 2017 (Courtesy Israel mission to the UN)

Leah and Simcha Goldin, the parents of IDF Lieutenant Hadar Goldin who was killed in Gaza in 2014 and whose remains are believed to be held by Hamas, traveled to the UN headquarters in New York on Friday to raise awareness of their plight.

Hamas is also believed to be keeping the remains of Staff Sergeant Oron Shaul as well as holding three Israeli citizens — Avraham Abera Mengistu, Hisham al-Sayed and Juma Ibrahim Abu Ghanima — who are all said to have entered the Gaza Strip of their own accord.

The Goldins, together with Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon, met with envoys from several countries including Ukraine, Peru and Poland. They also held a special briefing for senior representatives from countries, including members of the UN Security Council.

“Hamas used a UN-sponsored humanitarian ceasefire to kill and kidnap Hadar and we hold them responsible for his return,” the family told the diplomats.

“The terrorists are holding our son’s body hostage to blackmail Israel and release convicted terrorists. This terrible situation is a humanitarian crime and the international community must act to rectify it. We expect the same international community which is providing humanitarian aid to Gaza to pressure Hamas and demand the return of our sons,” they said.

Both Goldin and Hadar were killed in Gaza in Operation Protective Edge in 2014.

“The bodies of Hadar and Oron have been held for more than three years by a terrorist organization. It is despicable. No country should remain indifferent to this situation,” Danon said.

“The international community must intervene and exert pressure on Hamas in order to bring them back to Israel. We will not rest until Hadar and Oron are returned for proper burial,” he added.

The families have accused the Israeli government, particularly Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, of not doing enough to secure the return of their loved ones.

Liberman has vowed not to repeat what he called the mistake of earlier prisoner swaps and release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, but has not cited other ways to secure the return of the soldiers’ bodies.