As the United States celebrated Labor Day, thousands of people came to Jerusalem on Monday to pay their respects at the funeral of American Israeli Hersh GoldbergPolin. Hersh was one of the Hamas hosts who were held hostage by the terrorist group for almost a year. His parents Jon and Rachel are vocal supporters of the hostages. He was abducted on October 7th, at the Nova Festival. Recently, they spoke at the DNC.
Hamas killed Hersh and six other men as IDF troops approached the location.
Thousands of people are gathering at the cemetery where Hersh Goldberg-Polin will be laid to rest. pic.twitter.com/9VGY1q0F8k
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) September 2, 2024
Isaac Herzog apologized to Hersh, Israel’s president, for not having been able to save him in a moving address given at Hersh’s funeral.
President Herzog’s remarks at the funeral of Hersh Goldberg-Polin:
Beloved Hersh, with a torn and broken heart, I stand here today as the President of the State of Israel, bidding you farewell and asking for your forgiveness, from you, and from Carmel, from Eden, from Almog,… pic.twitter.com/SYEIQXd4x8
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) September 2, 2024
Jon spoke about his son’s intelligence and knowledge. He also talked about how he was interested in social injustice and advocated for others. Rachel discussed the pain that they had felt over the last eleven months and expressed their hope that he would return home.
Hersh’s mom: “For all these months, I have been in such torment and worry about you for every single millisecond of every single day. It is such a specific type of misery that I had never experienced before.
I tried hard to suppress the missing you part because that, I was… pic.twitter.com/8wc2REUEqL
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) September 2, 2024
Rachel Goldberg-Polin: We became absolutely certain that you were coming home alive. But it was not to be…How do we live the rest of our lives without you? I pray that your death will be a turning point in this horrible situation we are in. pic.twitter.com/EiEJcrFjLo
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) September 2, 2024
Hamas has refused to make any agreement except for the total surrender of the IDF. This is a return to the events of Oct. 6. Some Israelis, including hostage families, still think that the government is blocking an agreement.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a prominent voice for hostage families, has shifted its stance against Netanyahu. Many Israelis, however, are more realistic.
I can understand protesting, but I don’t quite get the Histadrut general strike tomorrow over the six hostages being murdered. I’m not seeing any specific, tangible demands from the unions.
They’re saying to stop the abandonment of the hostages. Does that mean shutting down the…
— Lahav Harkov 🎗️ (@LahavHarkov) September 1, 2024
I can understand protesting, but I cannot support the Histadrut general strike tomorrow as a response to the murders of six hostages. There are no concrete demands from the unions.
They say to stop abandoning hostages. Do they mean shutting down the country until there is a settlement? Until Netanyahu concedes more?
Hamas holds people hostage and kills them. It is not good to strike until an agreement is reached, because they punish Netanyahu by creating pressure. The Histadrut is destroying the Israeli economy and will eventually pass it on to Israelis.
Hamas has, on the other hand, cruelly threatened to release a video of hostages just before they die. Biden has put Netanyahu on trial again, but at the same time, he’s talking about a “final offer” to Hamas.