Simcha Goldin, father of IDF soldier Hadar Goldin, who was murdered and his body kidnapped in 2014, spoke Saturday night at the Hostages Square demonstration in Tel Aviv.
Goldin emphasized, "4,000 days ago, Lieutenant Hadar Goldin sent us on a mission to bring home a fallen soldier for burial in Israel - a mission to restore Israeli society to itself."
"We’re not just bringing our son back from the enemy’s hands; we’re restoring Israeli society to itself. And it’s a long journey.
"We do not complain. We cry when we need to. We do not give up, we do not despair. We are working through the walls. We hate political spins - we speak the truth. We take responsibility."
He added: "Our struggle today is clear - to bring back those we abandoned. If we prove we can bring back the fallen, then it will be clear we have the power to bring back the wounded and the living. This has been the Jewish conception from time immemorial, ever since we received the commandment to be Israel. This is the commandment - be Israelis, be Hadar."
Quoting Genesis, Goldin said: "Our struggle is with G-d and with people. And if we wrestle - we succeed. 'Because you have wrestled with [an angel of] God and with men, and you have prevailed (Genesis 32:29).'"