Hersh Goldberg-Polin: Family confirms death of Israeli-American hostage with Chicago ties
JERSUALEM - The family of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin announced the young man’s death late Saturday, ending a relentless campaign by his parents to rescue him that included meetings with world leaders and an address to the Democratic convention last month.
Goldberg-Polin, 23, was seized by militants at a music festival in southern Israel on Oct. 7. The native of Berkeley, California, lost part of his left arm to a grenade in the attack. In April, a Hamas-issued video showed him, his left hand missing and clearly speaking under duress, sparking new protests in Israel urging the government to do more to secure his and others’ freedom.
Israel’s announcement is bound to bring urgent new calls for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a deal to bring home remaining hostages. The Israeli leader has taken a tough line in negotiations and repeatedly said that military pressure is needed to bring home the hostages. According to Israeli media, he has feuded with top security officials who have said a deal should be reached urgently.
Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, parents of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, speak on day 3 of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 21, 2024 in Chicago, Ill. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
President Joe Biden, who had met with the parents, said he was "devastated and outraged."
"It is as tragic as it is reprehensible," he said. "Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. And we will keep working around the clock for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages."
The family issued a statement early Sunday, hours after the Israeli army said it had located bodies in Gaza.
"With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh," it said. "The family thanks you all for your love and support and asks for privacy at this time."
There was no immediate comment from the army, details on the exact circumstances of his death or identities of other bodies recovered.
Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who is being held hostage in Gaza, during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. The Democratic National Con
Asked about the case earlier on Saturday, Biden said bodies were still being identified and that families were being notified. But he called for an end to the war and said cease-fire efforts were progressing.
"I think we’re on (the) verge of having an agreement," he said as he left church in Delaware. "It’s just time to end. It’s time to finish it."
Goldberg-Polin’s parents, U.S.-born immigrants to Israel, became perhaps the most high-profile relatives of hostages on the international stage. They met with Biden, Pope Francis and others and addressed the United Nations, urging the release of all hostages.
On Aug. 21, his parents addressed a hushed hall at the Democratic National Convention — after sustained applause and chants of "bring him home."
"This is a political convention. But needing our only son — and all of the cherished hostages — home is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue," said his father, Jon Polin. His mother, Rachel, who bowed her head during the ovation and touched her chest, said "Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you, stay strong, survive."
Both wore stickers with the number 320, representing the number of days their son had been held. It had long become part of a morning ritual — tear a new piece of tape, write down another day.
"I find it so remarkable how nauseating it is every single time,’’ Rachel Goldberg-Polin told The Associated Press in January, ahead of the 100-day-mark. "And it’s good. I don’t want to get used to it. I don’t want anybody to get used to the fact that these people are missing.’’
She asked other people around the world to take up the ritual, too, not only for her son, who moved to Israel with his family when he was 7, but for the other hostages and their families.
She and her husband sought to keep their son and the others held from being reduced to numbers, describing Hersh as a music and soccer lover and traveler with plans to attend university since his military service had ended. At events she often addressed her son directly in the hope he could hear her, urging him to live another day.
Some 250 hostages were taken on Oct. 7. Before the military’s announcement of the latest discovery of bodies, Israel said it believed 108 hostages were still held in Gaza and about one-third of them were dead. In late August, the Israeli military recovered the bodies of six hostages in southern Gaza.
Eight hostages have been rescued by Israeli forces, the most recent found on Tuesday. Most of the rest were freed during a weeklong cease-fire in November in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
Two previous Israeli operations to free hostages killed scores of Palestinians. Hamas says several hostages have been killed in Israeli airstrikes and failed rescue attempts. Israeli troops mistakenly killed three Israelis who escaped captivity in December.
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth released the following statement after the bodies of six Israeli hostages killed by Hamas were recovered, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin:
"My heart is broken by this gut-wrenching news. My deepest condolences are with Hersh’s family and friends, including those throughout the Chicagoland area, and his parents, Rachel and Jon, who have been staunch advocates for the hostages and their families—their bravery, strength and steadfast love for their son has been awe-inspiring.
The capture and subsequent killing of hostages by Hamas is unconscionable and unacceptable. Full stop. It is imperative for a permanent ceasefire to be negotiated and upheld by all parties that releases the remaining hostages, and I will keep doing everything I can to push for a deal. May Hersh’s memory be a blessing."