B’nai B’rith Europe attended the conference addressing the Humanitarian situation of the abducted and murdered Hadar Goldin at the European Parliament, on Thursday 20th of June 2018. Several members of the Parliament were present, from various political groups, including Bas Belder (ECR), Pieter Niedermüller (S&D), Cristian Dan Preda (EPP) and Anders Vistisen (ECR).
Lieutenant Hadar Goldin was an Israeli soldier who got kidnapped and murdered during the UN-backed humanitarian ceasefire in 2014. Despite statements from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and officials from the Red Cross condemning the violation of humanitarian law, the body of Hadar is still kept hostage by Hamas.
Dr. Leah Goldin, mother of Hadar, addressed the MEPs “Our son was not a victim of the war in Gaza, but a victim of a humanitarian ceasefire, brokered and sponsored by the United Nations. I ask the international community to be on the right side of history, to uphold its integrity”.
During their visit in Brussels, the family of Hadar also had the opportunity to meet with officials from the European institutions, as well as international Jewish organisations.
President of B’nai B’rith Europe Serge Dahan expresses his deep compassion for the Goldin family who is going through this unimaginable pain for almost four years and urges politicians to ensure the “respect of International Humanitarian law, but also the respect of the moral obligation not hold in hostage bodies and make possible proper burial”.