Hadar Goldin Foundation
We must free the captives from
Hamas and return them to Israel!
Your voice must be heard in Washington!
Hadar Goldin
In August 2014 during the war between Israel and Hamas, just two hours after Hamas agreed to a ceasefire sponsored by the United States and the United Nations, Hamas terrorists emerged from a terror tunnel, shot Hadar Goldin, a Lieutenant in the Israeli Defense Forces, and killed two other Israeli soldiers. Hadar Goldin did not survive this attack, and Hamas continues to hold Hadar and the body of another Israeli soldier slain during the 2014 Gaza war, Oron Shaul, for ransom. Hamas also holds for ransom two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed.
Oron Shaul
Seven years have passed, and the families of these fallen soldiers are still struggling to obtain the release of their loved ones for return to Israel. Currently, a huge aid package to rebuild Gaza is making its way through Congress. Hamas should be required to return the Israeli fallen soldiers and captive civilians as a confidence-building first step and as a pre-condition for humanitarian aid for Gaza.
There is a moral imperative to bring them home. International humanitarian law requires the repatriation of missing soldiers and civilians; Jewish law requires us to make all efforts to bring the dead to their final resting places. You can make a difference in obtaining the release of these fallen soldiers and civilian hostages by writing your Senators and Representatives and urging them to insist that any US aid packages earmarked for Gaza be expressly conditioned on the prior return of Hadar, Oron, Aveera and Hisham to Israel and their families as a non-negotiable pre-condition to the award of such aid.
Please take a few minutes to join us in this campaign.
- Click on the this link: https://democracy.io/#!/
- Fill in your street address (this is required to identify your specific Senators and Congressperson).
- Fill in the “Subject” field (we suggest the subject be “U.S. Aid package to Gaza”).
- Copy and paste the text set forth below into the space indicated (feel free to personalize and modify the letter as you see fit).
- Fill in the personal information that will identify you to your Senator or Congressperson.
- Select the Topic (we suggest it be “Foreign Relations” or “International Affairs.)”
- Press the Send! button.
Copy and paste this text:
I am a registered voter represented by you in Washington. I am writing to you about an urgent matter of great importance.
In August 2014 during the war between Israel and the Hamas terror organization, just two hours after Hamas agreed to a ceasefire sponsored by the United States and the United Nations, Hamas terrorists emerged from a terror tunnel, shot Hadar Goldin, a Lieutenant in the Israeli Defense forces, and killed two other Israeli soldiers. Hadar Goldin did not survive this attack, and Hamas continues to hold his body and the body of another Israeli soldier slain during the 2014 Gaza war, Oron Shaul, for ransom. Hamas also holds for ransom two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed.
Seven years have passed, and the families of these fallen soldiers are still struggling to obtain the release of their loved ones for return to Israel. The refusal of Hamas to return Israeli fallen soldiers is a violation of numerous international human rights laws and humanitarian principles. Just to name a few examples: UN Resolution 2474; the First Geneva Convention article 17(3); and Customary International Humanitarian Law Rules 104 and 105.
Obtaining the return of these Israelis, remains the moral responsibility of the United States, particularly with respect to Hadar Goldin, who was killed and kidnapped in blatant violation of a humanitarian ceasefire brokered by the US State Department in 2014. The U.S. must require Hamas to return the Israeli fallen soldiers as a confidence-building first step and as a pre-condition to US aid for Gaza. Such an action would be an important step forward in allaying concerns about how US funds pledged to Gaza aid will in fact be used.
I respectfully request that you insist that any US aid packages earmarked for Gaza be expressly conditioned on the prior return of Hadar, Oron, Aveera and Hisham to Israel and their families as a non-negotiable pre-condition to the award of such aid