In an interview with Israel National News, Dr. Leah Goldin, the mother of missing IDF soldier Hadar Goldin, talks about the importance of the place that the president of the country, Yitzhak Herzog, gave to her son and the others held by Hamas in his speech to the American Congress.
"It's always exciting when the President of the State of Israel invites you to be part of his entourage," says Leah Goldin about being invited to join Herzog's visit to the US, and adds that she knew from the beginning that she was expected to be present at this speech in Congress. She sat next to the wife of the president and the wife of the Israeli ambassador in Washington.
"I knew he would say something, but from my experience for nine years, it wasn't likely anything significant that moved us forward. This time President Herzog's statement was as clear as it could be. This is the first time he referred to the fact that Hadar was kidnapped and killed during a ceasefire that the US and the UN had guaranteed. The second significant thing is that it has been nine years, and it is the responsibility of the US to take care of the return of the boys Hadar, Oron, Avera, and Hisham because this is part of its responsibility for the ceasefire. That's the amazing thing."
In addition, she notes the excitement when she was called to her feet to the applause of all those present in the hall and the empathy from all the members of Congress. "It gives strength and hope." Dr. Goldin says that even in the corridors, she was approached by members of Congress whom she does not know, who shook her hand and expressed full sympathy with her and her struggle. "Something happened here that we waited nine years for to receive the seal of the event and to activate the great USA, which has all the abilities to bring Hadar home."
She noted that this is not the first meeting with the UN Secretary-General. Already four years ago, the Goldin family met with the UN Secretary-General at his request in order for him to declare his commitment to the implementation of the Security Council's ceasefire resolution. "This time, it was another reminder after we were in Geneva and met the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. All of these come together to where we call on the UN to uphold its laws. The UN Secretary-General talked about taking this to heart, but we didn't stop there. We ran to meetings with the representatives of the member states of the Security Council with a clear statement that we must put the issue on the agenda of the Security Council and see how the states stand up to it. This is the pressure and leverage that will result in those states that support Gaza having no choice but to return our sons as part of any agreement they make regarding our region, and Gaza in particular."
Goldin recounts meetings with members of the State Department who have already taken action and contacted the countries involved in the issue, "and this time I also met the Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, with whom I was already in correspondence, I approached him as part of the meeting. The President of Israel invited me to come in for a short time, and I told him that we needed his leadership to advance the issue. His answer was positive."