Leah Goldin broke into tears and left Tuesday’s meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the families of the four Israelis held captive in Gaza.
"Even after this meeting, it's not clear to us why Netanyahu doesn't make the return of the boys a condition in all the talks for rehabilitating and upgrading Gaza that are happening every day,” Goldin said.
"Does Netanyahu intend to stand by his promise of returning the boys?" she asked.
They army holds that her son, Lt. Hadar Goldin was killed during Operation Protective Edge in a Hamas attack on August 1, 2014, when he was 23 years old. It similarly holds that St.-Sgt. Oron Shaul, then 20, was killed on July 20 that year, when an armored personnel carrier he was traveling in, was hit.
Separately, two Israeli men, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, believed to be suffering from mental disabilities crossed into Gaza after the war. It’s believed that they are alive but held captive.
The Prime Minister’s Office said that Netanyahu understood the families pain and would continue to do everything possible to bring the boys home.
It added that Netanyahu had spoken with them of a possible joint US-Israeli discussion at the UN in New York on the need to return the captives. Israel wants to capitalize on the UN Security Council resolution on missing person that was approved last month.
Goldin dismissed those efforts as well. “We don't need a trip to New York and what you proposed, we already did that ourselves two years ago and with great success," she said.
She could not help but note the timing of the meeting, which took place during the election cycle and close to the anniversary of the 2014 Gaza war.
"It's interesting why you suddenly remembered us now, after five years when you did nothing,” Goldin said.
"The meeting today and Netanyahu's proposals to act in the international arena were intended primarily to silence the disappointment of the families just before the commemoration of five years since Operation Protective Edge," stated Goldin.
"Our feeling throughout the meeting was that the prime minister is doing all he can to maintain calm in the coming weeks” particularly in light of the national recommendation that will be held to mark “five years since the kidnapping of our son Hadar," she added.