Leah and Simha Goldin with Ambassador Danon during a visit to the UN
Leah and Simha Goldin with Ambassador Danon during a visit to the UNIsrael's UN mission

Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, who was killed and captured by Hamas on August 1, 2014 near the Gaza town of Rafah during Operation Protective Edge, was not only a distinguished commander, but a talented artist as well.

At his family’s initiative, a selection of Hadar’s drawings will be displayed in one of the main exhibition areas of the United Nations headquarters during the upcoming General Assembly in September when world leaders converge in New York.

Hadar’s parents and twin brother Tzur will attend the exhibit’s opening at the UN in the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

“Hadar was killed and kidnapped by despicable terrorists during a UN sponsored ceasefire,” Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon explained on Sunday.

“It is vital that that senior UN officials and world leaders understand that Hadar was not only a brave solider who was killed while defending his country, but that he was also a loving son, a devoted brother and talented artist,” the Ambassador continued.

The exhibit is entitled “The Final Peace,” after a misspelling by Hadar in one of his drawings. The Goldin family decided to hold the exhibit after a curator who visited them during the mourners’ shiva period happened upon the drawings and was impressed by Hadar’s artwork.

Hadar’s unit was attacked during a ceasefire initiated by the UN and the family sees the international body as one of the main agencies responsible for the return of his remains which are being held by Hamas terrorists.

Leah Goldin, Hadar’s mother, explained the significance the family placed on the exhibit in the UN.

“It is vital that that world leaders see firsthand that in addition to an Israeli soldier who was killed and captured during a UN ceasefire, Hadar was a talented human being full of possibility, who had his whole life ahead of him,” she said.

“I call upon the UN and the international community to take responsibility and ensure that Hadar is returned to Israel for a proper burial,” added Goldin.

Ambassador Danon is working with representatives from various countries and UN officials to utilize the visit to the UN by the Goldin family for diplomatic meetings aimed at ensuring the return of the remains of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin and Staff Sargent Oron Shaul for proper burial in Israel.

The Goldin and Shaul families recently publicly denounced the government's decision to sign a rapprochement deal with Turkey which didn't provide for the return of their son’s bodies.

Israeli officials recently reported that Israel had opened communications with the terror group in the hopes of negotiating the return of the soldiers' remains as well as the return of two Israeli civilians held captive by Hamas.

But Hamas denied those reports, saying it would not consider talks with Israel until security prisoners released under previous agreements, who returned to terror and were then taken into custody again, be freed.