After 11 years in captivity, Lt. Hadar Goldin is laid to rest at the Kfar Saba military cemetery, accompanied by tens of thousands of people and Israeli flags.
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IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Givati Brigade Commander Col. Netanel Shamkeh will participate in the ceremony and deliver eulogies alongside family members, including parents Simcha and Leah, brothers Hami and Tzur, sister Ayelet, and Hadar's fiancée Edna Sarusi. Singer Idan Amedi, a family friend who accompanied them throughout their years of struggle, will also participate in the ceremony. The thousands attending the funeral procession will remain outside the cemetery and watch the ceremony on large screens that have been installed in advance.
Kfar Saba Mayor Rafi Saar said, "There are moments that words cannot describe. Lt. Hadar Goldin is laid to rest in his beloved homeland and in the city of Kfar Saba. The municipality and its residents warmly welcome the Goldin family. I send heartfelt condolences to the family, and we will continue to embrace and support them during these hours as well."
"Refrain from desecrating this sacred day"
Ahead of the funeral, the Goldin family issued an appeal to the media not to engage with Hadar's fall, kidnapping, and return in political or partisan contexts. "Hadar was returned to Israel 4,118 days after he fell defending the homeland he loved so much and from which he was kidnapped," the family's statement read. "Please refrain from desecrating this sacred day with political discourse surrounding Hadar's event."
The family requested that we focus on Hadar's positive legacy, as he expressed in a sentence he said during his life: "A person has two options in life – to deal with yourself or to do great things."
Instead of partisan discourse, the family asked to focus, at least today, "on the positive, the optimistic, and what unites all parts of Israeli society."
"Hadar Goldin's humble legacy was in the values he lived," they explained, quoting a sentence of Hadar's that has already become a symbol. "Hadar said an amazing sentence – 'A person has two options in life – to be self-centered or to do great things.'"
Lt. Hadar Goldin, 23, was a fallen hostage kidnapped by Hamas during Operation Protective Edge. He was held in captivity from August 1, 2014, for over 11 years. Hadar's parents, Leah and Simcha Goldin, fought for years for his return for burial in Israel. They launched the campaign to return the hostages long before Israel would understand its meaning.
Hadar was born in February 1991 in Eshar, a mixed settlement of religious and secular residents. He was the younger brother of the eldest daughter, Ayelet, and Hami. Hadar, the firstborn of twins, waited outside the womb for five full minutes until his twin brother Tzur came out. Together, they captured the hearts of kindergarten teachers and educators. Together, they learned to play instruments, draw, and sculpt. Together, they went to the Bnei Akiva movement and transitioned from members to counselors. Together, they attended the "Bnei David" preparatory program in Ali, a pre-military academy.
