Hadar Goldin
Hadar GoldinCourtesy of the family

Rabbi Itamar Heikin, principal of the AMIT school in Modi’in and teacher of Hadar Goldin called upon the government on Tuesday to return Goldin’s body to Israel and end four years in Hamas captivity.

Goldin was killed by Hamas terrorists during the 2014 Gaza conflict. Along with Oron Shaul, another IDF soldier murdered by Hamas, Goldin’s body has been held in Gaza since his death.

Speaking to Arutz Sheva, Rabbi Heikin said those supporting the efforts of the Goldin family to return their son’s body must be prepared for a potentially long struggle.

“There are two things we must do in the meantime – one is to build up [our] memory of Hadar and all the wonderful things about him and to incorporate [his traits] into our lives.”

“The next thing we must do is to bring him and Oron home. They both went out on behalf of Israel, and the must be returned to be buried in Israel.”

Beyond the effort to return the fallen soldiers’ bodies, however, Rabbi Heikin emphasized the importance of helping their families.

“It’s really not simple at all, I think, for anyone to stand in their shoes and understand the kind of terrible pain and feelings, that the little that they ask for is to see their son returned to Israel to be buried.”

“Before [the Biblical] Jacob died he told Joseph not to bury him in Egypt. It is forbidden that Hadar be buried there in Gaza. It is a national responsibility to return any [fallen] soldier home.”

Rabbi Heikin criticized the government’s handling of the issue, saying the lack of decisive action only empowered Hamas. He also noted that the families of the fallen soldiers were not pushing for Israel to comply with Hamas demands of mass prisoner releases, as occurred in the return of Gilad Shalit.

“The family is not talked about getting him back in exchange for releasing terrorists. Let the terrorists stay in prison. Instead, [they’re saying] don’t give them [the terrorists] privileges or beneficial conditions until the boys are returned. So far the government has made a lot of mistakes in the negotiations”.