Simcha (L) and Leah Goldin
Photo: Amit Shabi
Goldin family seeks 72 hour notification on return of terrorists' bodies
Family of Hadar Goldin files urgent petition with High Court seeking government to be obliged to provide public with 72 hour notification before releasing bodies, implement Cabinet's decisions regarding not returning bodies of Hamas men; Leah Goldin: 'Bodies of murderous terrorists returned minutes before Shabbat. We're in the midst of a deep crisis of faith.'
The family of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, whose body is held by Hamas in Gaza, submitted an urgent appeal to the High Court Sunday seeking an interim injunction and decree nisi temporarily blocking the government's decision to return the bodies of terrorists who carried out attacks against Israelis to their families for burial.
The fallen soldier's family's appeal was founded on the Security Cabinet's decision from January 2017, in which it noted Israel will hold onto the bodies of terrorists who "carried out an exceedingly grave attack" as well as "bodies of terrorists affiliated with Hamas."
The family claimed that the government has violated its own decision numerous times since adopting it. It did so, for instance, this past Friday by releasing for burial the body of terrorist Nimer Jamal of Beit Surik, who murdered three Israelis this past September.
Simcha (L) and Leah Goldin, Hadar's parents (Photo: Amit Shabi)
Goldin's family also cited as an example Cabinet's decision to release on July 23 of last year the bodies of three terrorists who murdered two cops on the Temple Mount, as well as a March 17 decision to release for burial a Beit Jala terrorist.
The remedy sought by the Goldin family was to order the government to provide the public with a 72 hour notice before releasing the bodies of terrorists who carried out attacks in the future, as well as to fully implement Cabinet's own decisions regarding said releases.
Dr. Leah Goldin, Hadar's mother, said before a race in her son's name concluded that, "Today is Tzur (the fallen soldier's twin brother—ed) and Hadar's 27th birthday. Three and a half years ago, a knock came on our door notifying us that Hadar was missing.
Participants in the Hadar Goldin memorial race (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)
"I can't believe it's been three and a half years and we're still battling with the state to return Hadar from Gaza. It feels more and more like we're actually fighting the government rather than our enemy, Hamas, to return Hadar."
Commenting on the release of the two terrorists' bodies over the weekend, Goldin said, "What happened Friday is horrible. Minutes before Shabbat, under the media's radar, the bodies of murderous terrorists who killed a Border Policeman and two civilians in an attack Hamas took responsibility for were returned.
"A year ago, the (Security) Cabinet decided to exert pressure on Hamas by not returning bodies (of its men). Unfortunately, Cabinet has yet to implement its own decision and we were therefore forced to appeal to the High Court.
The family was in a deep crisis of faith, Leah Goldin said (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)
"This past Thursday, 24 hours before the bodies' return, the State Attorney faced the court to declare Israel will not be returning Hamas bodies. Less than a day later and those exact bodies were returned."
The bereaved mother added, "We're in the midst of a very deep crisis of faith with the government and decision makers, but we won't give up on our values—the values of the people of the State of Israel—or on our struggle to return Hadar for proper burial."
