Israel: soldier’s family attack MKs and ministers

The mother and brother of Hadar Goldin, one of the Israeli soldiers captured by the Palestinian resistance in Gaza, attacked Knesset members and ministers on Tuesday, and criticised their handling of the issue, Safa has reported. Leah Goldin and her son Menachem attended a meeting of a Knesset committee to discuss the latest development about the Israeli soldiers held in Gaza.

Goldin was 23 when he was lost in Gaza during Israel’s 2014 military offensive against the Palestinians in the besieged enclave. Although the Israel Defence Forces said that he was dead, the Palestinians have never confirmed if they are holding on to his remains or if he is still alive.

According to Israeli Channel 7, Goldin’s mother accused the Israeli government of “ignoring its moral duty towards the families of the captured Israeli soldiers as it continues its procrastination, and does not offer any solution to return the soldiers.”

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She attacked Michael Biton MK specifically, saying: “You were a minister at the defence ministry that time and you did nothing.” Biton replied: “Yes, I was holding this position, but I did not have power to take a decision on this issue. In summary, I did not succeed in this mission.”

Menachem Goldin told the Knesset committee, “You have ruined our family, give us a grave to cry on.”

The military secretary to the prime minister, Avi Gil, was clear that the mission in this respect was not successful: “We have not achieved the mission. We are no longer the sons. We have soldiers lost since the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War, and the families are still awaiting graves for their sons.” He added that policies will be changed “this year.”