The mystery has ended, and the Goldwasser and Regev families are forced to wonder no more. Their sons have at last returned from the battle, but Ehud and Eldad will never again embrace their loved ones.
According to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, that task has now been passed on to the citizens of Israel.
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In a statement issued Wednesday evening, the Prime Minister said, “The entire nation of Israel embraces the grieving Goldwasser and Regev families. We are tearful and our heart goes out to the relatives, who fought tirelessly and did not lose hope until the last moment.”
Earlier, the bodies of kidnapped IDF reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were delivered to Israel in exchange for the freedom of arch-terrorist Samir Kuntar and four Hizbullah guerrillas, who returned to a hero’s welcome in Lebanon.
Cruelty Up Until the Last Moment
The Lebanese/Hizbullah cruelty to the Jewish soldiers that was revealed to the Israelis who opened their coffins found expression even as the bodies were returned to Israel. The Hizbullah terrorists refused to say whether the two soldiers were alive or dead up to the very last moment, when a representative finally said, in answer to a question, "These two coffins contain the bodies of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev."
In addition to the four Hizbullah terrorists and the murderer who brutally slaughtered two Israeli
“Woe to the nation that at this time celebrates the release of an animal who crushed the skull of a four-year-old child.”
s and caused the death of a third in a 1979 attack on Nahariya, Israel also handed over the remains of 199 others, in new coffins.
In return, Hizbullah sent one coffin containing the remains of other IDF soldiers who died on the battlefield during the 2006 Second Lebanon War.
“This was a day of removing doubts,” declared the Prime Minister in his statement, “certainly in respect to the fate of Udi and Eldad, may they rest in peace, but also with regards to the people of Israel’s moral strength. Based on this strength, we decided to bring back the boys even at the heavy price of releasing a despicable murderer.
“A foreigner wouldn’t understand what every Israeli understands well: The mutual responsibility and concern for each one of our soldiers is the glue that connects us as a society.”
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“The concern for each one of our soldiers," Olmert said, "is what enables us to survive in an environment surrounded by enemies and terror organizations… “
He also had a special warning for Hizbullah, which threw a mammoth party for the murderer and his
"The mutual responsibility and concern for each one of our soldiers is the glue that connects us as a society.”fellow terrorists to celebrate their return: “Woe to the nation that at this time celebrates the release of an animal who crushed the skull of a four-year-old child.”
Kuntar executed Danny Haran in front of his small daughter Einat before killing her as well, by repeatedly slamming his rifle butt into her head, smashing her skull against a rock. He had also murdered police officer Eliyahu Shachar in that attack.
Olmert concluded the statement with by offering his condolences to the families, whose fight to learn the fate of their sons has now ended: “On this day, my heart goes out to the Goldwasser and Regev families. May the memory of the sons be blessed.”
The Prime Minister tearfully paid his respects to both of the families at the Shraga army base in northern Israel as they sat in separate tents, each keeping company with their son for the last time.
He first entered the tent in which the casket of First Sergeant Major Eldad Regev was placed, and tearfully hugged one of the soldier’s brothers.
He next entered the tent containing the coffin of First Sergeant Major Ehud Goldwasser, and hugged Karnit Goldwasser, now a young widow. The soldier’s aunt read a farewell letter on behalf of the family, in the Prime Minister’s presence.
IDF Chief of Staff: “Every soldier will know…”
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi issued his own statement Wednesday evening as well, noting the significance of the day’s events in terms of its impact on the army’s morale.
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“Every soldier sent to battle will know and every mother in Israel will know that her son’s fate, even if they fall captive, will be placed in the hands of commanders who will not give up, day after day, hour after hour on the chance that they may be released."
“My heart is full of hope that we will be successful in returning the rest of the captives and MIAs in the near future,” read the Chief of Staff’s statement.
IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit remains in captivity with the Hamas terrorists who abducted him near Gaza two weeks before the Hizbullah attack in which Goldwasser and Regev were kidnapped.