Leah Goldin is pleading with former President to help bring her son home 4,000 days after he was killed by Hamas.
Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier and artist, was 23 years old when Hamas ambushed and killed him during a ceasefire in Gaza that the U.S. helped broker.
His body was never recovered.
Leah Goldin has spent the time since pushing for her son’s return. In an interview marking the somber anniversary, she thanked President and his team for their past efforts and asked that they ensure her son’s return is a condition of any ceasefire, normalization agreement, or regional accord.
“We are appealing to President Trump and his people, who understand this issue, to recognize that bringing everyone home immediately and unconditionally is the true victory over Iran. Hadar is a symbol, and the Saudis must demand this, because normalization is impossible while we remain in this abnormal situation.”
“These deals are a false front, and this selective approach is devastating. It’s destroying the families and the hostages. The longer we go without bringing everyone back and ending this terrible war, the more Hadar Goldins there will be. It’s unbearable.”
was raised in a family of educators and instilled with values of faith, service, and compassion. Hadar was known for his kind nature, intelligence, and artistic talent. He was recently engaged. In his spare time, he drew portraits, wrote poetry, and taught children with disabilities.
He was serving in the Givati Brigade when Hamas violated a U.S.- and U.N.-mediated ceasefire during Operation Protective Edge on August 1, 2014, launching a surprise attack. Hadar was killed and taken into a tunnel in Gaza.
His mother says that this event shattered her family’s world and the Israeli military’s core values.
“The IDF’s principle is never to ,” she stated. “But on August 28, 2014, Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Hamas without demanding Hadar’s return. This broke a fundamental trust.”
Over the last decade, Leah Goldin has met with leaders, lawmakers, and military officials in the U.S. and Europe, seeking justice for her son and others in similar situations. She cites U.N. Security Council Resolution 2474, passed in 2019, which requires all parties in armed conflicts to return the remains of the dead as a humanitarian gesture and confidence-building measure.
“This is international law,” she said. “Yet Hadar remains in Gaza.”
Goldin acknowledges the Trump administration’s . “Trump’s people, Jason Greenblatt and Nikki Haley, spearheaded the resolution in 2019,” she said.
Goldin believes there is a unique opportunity now, with diplomatic efforts involving Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Gaza, to demand Hadar’s return before any agreements are finalized.
“Saudi Arabia has significant influence,” she said. “They lead the Islamic world. If they want normalization with Israel, they should demand the return of Hadar and all the hostages as a sign of goodwill.”
She also commended Steve Witkoff, a Trump envoy on Iran and Saudi issues, and urged him to make the connection. “He is in charge of the deals. He understands the importance of the hostages. Don’t postpone dealing with the hostages. That’s immoral.”
Goldin says she no longer trusts the Israeli government, which she believes has repeatedly ignored her son for political gain. “It’s been the same people for 11 years, just in different positions,” she said. “They agree to ceasefires and release terrorists, but they leave Hadar behind.”
Since Hamas’s October 7 attack, Leah and her family have been advising and supporting the families of current hostages through the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, which they helped create after the attack.
“My son Tzur, who also served in special forces, said no family should go through this alone,” she said. “So we organized, sharing our contacts, tools, and lessons. But it’s painful because we’ve experienced this before and know how easily they can be forgotten.”
She describes the current as “a nightmare of selection,” where some are prioritized while others are left behind. “As the daughter of Holocaust survivors, this feels like a moral failure,” she said.
Goldin says she will continue fighting until Hadar and all the hostages are returned home.
“Hadar is more than just my son,” she said. “He is now a symbol. And in every ceasefire, backroom deal, and moment of ‘business as usual,’ I want the world to remember his name.”