Bereaved Soldier’s Family Opposes Exchange of Prisoners for Son’s Body

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The family of IDF Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, who was killed in Operation Protective Edge in 2014 and whose body was then reportedly abducted by Hamas, expressed adamant opposition to a reported demand by Hamas for an exchange of prisoners in return for Goldin’s body.

“The State of Israel had a golden opportunity last week to change the equation and to force Hamas to pay the price and return the bodies of Hadar and Oron in the framework of an agreement with Turkey,” a spokesperson for the the family said.

Goldin’s family for a week have been actively protesting the decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet to move forward on a reconciliation agreement with Turkey.

Goldin’s family, along with the bereaved family members of IDF soldier Oron Shaul who was also killed and whose body was then captured by Hamas in Operation Protective Edge, strongly opposed the reconciliation agreement due to Turkey’s continued relationship with Hamas.

“Unfortunately, instead of pressuring our enemies, incompetence won out and Hamas received a reward for its abductions,” the family continued. “While our soldiers remain captured in Gaza, Hamas prisoners are entitled to the conditions of a hotel and sit and watch the Euro games.”

Goldin’s family said that any future discussion regarding an exchange of prisoners would be a result of Netanyahu’s decision to sign an agreement with Turkey that does not include the demand that Turkey pressure Hamas to return Hadar Goldin, Oron Shaul, and two other Israeli citizens held by Hamas—Avera Mengistu, an Israeli of Ethiopian background, and a Bedouin-Israeli, whose whereabouts remain unknown after crossing into Gaza.

“When the prime minister signs agreements easing conditions on the Gaza Strip and does not require Hamas to pay the price for its criminal actions, he is actually sending a message of weakness and setting the stage for additional demands, including the release of murderers and terrorists,” the family argued.

“It’s time to demand payment from our enemies instead of paying them ourselves and to bring home our sons and soldiers, Hadar and Oron, who remain left behind.”

By Jonathan Benedek/TPS – Tazpit News Agency / Photo: Hillel Maeir/TPS 

{Matzav.com}


2 COMMENTS

  1. When will the world, Israel included, realize that our cousins understand only one language: Might makes right. The only way to deal with them is with a very firm hand, punish severely for the most minor wrong-doing, and bingo, no more trouble. Problem is we had “leaders” who were far away from our mesorah, back in ’67, so they treated them like normal human beings, with understanding, and our cousins took advantage, until הגולם קם על יוצרו, the golem rose up on his creator. Things have only gotten worse, but I believe we could at least prevent worsening of the situation and even reversing it, by punishing swiftly and effectively, and while we may get some flak from the goyim, maybe we won’t, and we’ll minimize the terror. Deterrents include not returning corpses of terrorists, (threatening to) bury them with pigs, exiling their families, destroying their homes (the last two within days of the attacks) and cutting off funding to the PA in amounts equivalent to what they give to families of “shahidim.” Israel should totally revamp their non-existent PR. Of course, none of this is any guarantee, since Hakol b’ydei Shomayim, but this is legitimate hishtadlus. On the spiritual front, everyone must take upon himself to improve what he needs to improve, be it bein adam lamakom, bein adam l’chaveiro, pick one or two things and make a concerted effort to do that, on a daily or weekly basis. Teshuva u’sfillah u’tzedadak ma’avirin es ro’a hagezeirah!

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