Leah Goldin, mother of IDF soldier Hadar Goldin whose body is being held by Hamas in Gaza, is demanding that the government not return the body of the senior Islamic Jihad terrorist who died in an Israeli prison until her son and other captives held by Hamas are returned.
"670 terrorists were released from Operation Protective Edge until the beginning of 2022, the bodies of terrorists are being returned under the radar. Hadar and Oron (Shaul, whose body is also being held by Hamas -ed.) could have been returned for each of them," Goldin claimed in an interview with Channel 12 News.
She blasted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and claimed that he did not live up to his commitments. "He promised that there would be no rehabilitation of Gaza before the soldiers were returned. There was a cabinet decision that bodies of Hamas terrorists would not be returned nor bodies that Hamas has an interest in them - I think 104 rockets indicate a great interest."
"Now is the time to keep the promises. Forget the slogans of memorial ceremonies: 'I have done a lot', 'We are doing our best.' The phrase 'you are in our hearts'?I don't want to be in anyone's heart, I want my son back.We have a Prime Minister and a Defense Minister and a head of the Shin Bet and a head of the Mossad and the Chief of Staff - all of whom served in elite units.There is no need to explain to them why it is important to bring back soldiers," she added.
Goldin expressed hope that now, while Israel is in a social crisis surrounding the judicial reform and after a tense day in the Gaza Strip, her son and the other Israelis being held in Gaza will be returned.
"With what is happening in the country, returning the soldiers is the only test case to show a result. This is a war over values. There is an Ashkenazi here, there is a Sephardi here, there is an Ethiopian here, and there is a Muslim here - this is the entire face of the country. I want to hope, with the little bit of trust that I have remaining in the people who today fulfill their duties and who received the authority. After this round they have no more excuses," she stated.
"Hadar was taken during a ceasefire and he should be returned during a ceasefire. After the bombings there are agreements and with the agreements Hamas receives gifts. The day we reverse the equation and they will have to give something to us and not just receive - this will change the rules of the game."