Standing in the same spot where they first pleaded for their son’s return more than 11 years ago, the parents of Lt. Hadar Goldin spoke Sunday night after his remains were identified and brought home from Gaza, ending 4,118 days of uncertainty and grief.
“We brought Lt. Hadar Goldin of the Givati Reconnaissance Unit, our son, a fighter, back to be buried in Israel,” said his father, Simcha Goldin. “We made it happen because soldiers fight to bring back their comrades and civilians. The IDF brought Hadar home — no one else, only the IDF.”
He continued: “We carry these IDF values — the same values that guided us for 11 years — because they are what Hadar left us. The principle that we never abandon soldiers on the battlefield.”
“It’s not shameful to fight for soldiers,” Simcha added. “The latest war proved that when you fight for your soldiers, you succeed. When you don’t bring them and the civilians back — you fail. Victory means returning the hostages and the fallen to Israel. That’s what we did, and that value will guide our recovery as a nation.”
Leah Goldin, Hadar’s mother, recalled standing in the same place in August 2014, just days after her son was kidnapped by Hamas in Rafah. “We shouted that Israel must not leave Gaza without bringing Hadar home,” she said. “We believed it was obvious that the State of Israel would never leave soldiers behind.”
“It took us 11 years to bring him back, with the help of the IDF and Israel’s security forces,” she said. “No one should be confused — we had to travel the world and do the impossible just to remind people of our shared values: camaraderie, the return of the fallen for proper burial, and human dignity.”
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir embraces Leah and Simcha Goldin
(Video: IDF)
Leah said the family endured deep disappointments over the years — the greatest during the COVID-19 pandemic, when, she claimed, “Israel could have brought Hadar, Oron Shaul, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed home in exchange for vaccines, when the whole world faced a humanitarian crisis. But Israeli decision-makers didn’t do it.”
She added: “We must never give up on who we are. We will win through our values, and I hope Hadar continues to be a symbol. As he once said: ‘In life, you have two choices — to focus on yourself or to do great things.’ We didn’t do anything extraordinary; we just fought for our son and for every IDF soldier.”
“For years, I said, ‘I’m not fighting only for Hadar — I’m fighting for the next hostage.’ I thought of soldiers, not civilians. If October 7 wasn’t the wake-up call for every Israeli, it’s time to look at us and understand: we must fight for our children. Without them, we have no future and no existence.”
The funeral for Lt. Hadar Goldin will be held Monday. His sister Ayelet, who returned from London, and his brothers Tzur and Hemi will attend the burial.
Earlier Sunday, Ayelet shared an emotional message in the family’s WhatsApp group that led the campaign for his return: “It’s done. We brought Hadar home ❤️ Thanks to you all.” She later wrote, “How do you fight for a fallen brother? For a soldier who went to battle and comes home in a coffin? I don’t know how to feel yet. But I do know what keeps me strong — that we stayed true to our Israeli values. The straight path wins. Goodness wins. We’re changing history together.”
Shortly after the family’s statement, former hostages Gali and Ziv Berman appeared on the field at Bloomfield Stadium before the soccer match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem, sending “a big hug to the Goldin family.”
The IDF released footage showing Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir embracing Leah and Simcha Goldin during their meeting Saturday night, shortly after the official identification was completed.
Kfar Saba Mayor Rafi Sa’ar, the family’s hometown leader, said: “There are moments words cannot describe. After 11 years of waiting, pain, and hope, Lt. Hadar Goldin is on his way to eternal rest in his beloved homeland. We embrace the Goldin family with love and will accompany Hadar with Israeli flags on his final journey.”