Hadar Goldin, a Lieutenant in the Givati Brigade of the IDF, was a Jewish patriot, humanitarian and artist, and only 23 years old when he was killed and kidnapped in Gaza by Hamas terrorists.
On August 1, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, two hours after Hamas agreed to a cease-fire, terrorists ambushed three Israeli soldiers from a tunnel located in the basement of a house in Gaza. The terrorists killed two of the soldiers, and shot Hadar Goldin, a Lieutenant in the Givati Brigade (an elite combat unit of the IDF), dragging him into a tunnel in order to kidnap him.
Tragically, Hadar was the victim of the UN- and US-brokered cease-fire, which was cynically violated by Hamas.
Hamas continues to hold Hadar’s body, presumably as a bargaining chip to extract political or military concessions in future conflicts with Israel. Hamas is also holding the remains of Oron Shaul, another soldier who was killed in Operation Protective Edge.
Hadar was a remarkably gifted young man — a painter and graphic artist, a poet, and an inspiration to all who knew him.
The Goldin and Shaul families have experienced the unspeakable pain of not only losing a beloved son in war, but the additional agony of not being able to bury his body in their home towns where their sons were raised. These families have committed themselves to recovering the bodies of their sons and giving them the decent burial that they deserve in Israel.
The murder of these IDF soldiers under cover of an international cease-fire is a story of one broken promise after another:
1st Promise – Hamas signed an international cease-fire agreement and then cynically broke its promise to stop hostilities.
2nd Promise – The United Nations sponsored the cease fire agreement, but has done nothing to rectify the terrible wrong perpetrated by Hamas in murdering the three IDF soldiers under cover of the cease-fire and in kidnapping and holding Hadar Goldin.
3rd Promise – The United States helped broker the cease fire agreement, has done nothing to correct the broken promise that Hamas made to the world community to cease hostilities.
Hamas’ refusal to repatriate the remains of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul is a flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions and international human rights norms which mandate respectful interment of combatants in accordance with their faith.
All good people of conscience must insist that Hamas and the world community keep its promises!
Mother’s Cry – a song for the return of Hadar Goldin(Lyrics translated from Hebrew):
My child is full of splendor (Hadar) and majesty,
I’ not willing to wait more and more;
I sent you with a smile of love
And I was left broken hearted and disappointed.
My child is full of splendor and majesty,
I miss you very much;
Every evening I whisper softly a prayer for you.
And by day I shout that there’s no forgiveness!
Refrain:
I would have wanted to try to forgive,
But your smile doesn’t give me peace;
The mother in me does not let to forget,
That I will never run out of strength –
Until you return
My child is full of splendor and majesty,
Everyone here oh how they can stumble;
Everything is so simple but not easy,
How do we keep repeating the same mistake over and over again?
My child forever you are Hadar,
So it will never, ever, no never be too late –
Every day I still have a dream that tomorrow,
To me they will say that to me will return Hadar…
Refrain:
I would have wanted to try to forgive,
But your smile doesn’t give me peace;
The mother in me does not let to forget,
That I will never run out of strength –
Until you return