Leah Goldin (R), next to her husband Simcha
Photo: Motti Kimchi
Comptroller asks PM to address Goldin family's plight
After meeting with family members of Hadar Goldin, whose body is still being held by Hamas, State Comptroller Shapira urges Netanyahu to address their critique of the state's handling of the issue.
State Comptroller Yosef Shapira met recently with relatives of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, whose body is being held by Hamas in Gaza, and received from them a detailed document critiquing the State of Israel's handling of efforts to return him to Israel.
Following the meeting, the comptroller sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, asking him to address the Goldin family's claims "as soon as possible."
The comptroller's office said that the Shapira's letter was also sent to Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
PM Netanyahu (L) and State Comptroller Shapira (AFP, Gil Yohanan)
Goldin, as well as Staff Sergeant Oron Shaul, fell in 2014 during Operation Protective Edge. Their bodies are still being held by Hamas as leverage in future prisoner exchange deals with Israel.
The Israeli government promised their families that every effort would be made to bring back their remains, but attempts hitherto made have not yielded results.
In February, Hadar's mother, Leah Goldin, sent an open letter to Netanyahu and to all cabinet ministers and members of the Knesset marking three and a half years since her son's abduction.
Leah Goldin (R), next to her husband Simcha (Photo: Amit Shabi)
In her letter, Leah reiterated her demand to pressure Hamas to returning all living and deceased Israelis they are holding captive.
"The Palestinian Authority is responsible for holding Hadar and Oron and violates international humanitarian law. We proved this a month ago at a meeting of the UN Security Council. There was a wall-to-wall consensus that the PA was legally responsible for Hadar and Oron and was violating international humanitarian law whenever it failed to bring them home.
"Anyone who is silent about injustice is a partner to injustice, no matter how big a kippah (skullcap) he has on his head."
Hadar Goldin (L) and Oron Shaul
Leah concluded by asking why she and any other mother should have to fight for a country that does not fight for them.
"Everyone is silent and everyone shares the injustice of abandoning our soldiers, regardless of party, race, sex or religion," she said.
