Hadar Goldin, 23 year old captured Israeli soldier
Photo- Times of Israel

Hadar Goldin, a second Lieutenant in the Givati brigade, was kidnapped on Friday morning while working to destroy a tunnel connecting Gaza to Israel. Hamas terrorists opened fire on the platoon at 9:30 am, killing two and kidnapping Goldin. This came 90 minutes after the United States and United Nations announced in a joint statement that Hamas and Israel had agreed to a 72-hour cease-fire.

This kidnapping brings back nightmares of what happened to Gilad Shalit. Shalit was kidnapped in 2006 by Hamas and held in tortuous captivity for five years. He was finally brought home in 2011 in a “prisoner swap” in which Israel released 1,027 Palestinians, 280 of whom were serving life sentences for planning and perpetrating terror attacks. The deal, 1,027 prisoners for one Israeli soldier, initiated a debate among Israelis. Would this deal, which frees people who murdered Israeli citizens, encourage Hamas to kidnap future soldiers to exchange for prisoners? Should Israel do everything in its power to bring back its people? What about the families of the people murdered in the Sbarro terror attack or the Passover massacre of 2002 (the terrorists who perpetrated these attacks were among those released in the Shalit deal)? Israelis and Jews around the world debated these questions, all hoping never to see such a situation like this again.

The Israeli people have rarely been united, as they were when Gilad Shalit was kidnapped. Unfortunately, now another of their own has been kidnapped and faces torture or death. Lets put aside the debate about releasing over 1,000 prisoners in exchange for one soldier and focus on the 23 year old man who was captured. Hadar Goldin will not be able to see his family and his family will not be able to see him. Hopefully they will see each other again without having to wait five years.

For further reading, check out- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israeli-soldier-feared-captured-in-tunnel-attack-by-militants-9642469.html

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/middle-east-unrest/israeli-2nd-lt-hadar-goldin-feared-kidnapped-gaza-military-n170276

http://online.wsj.com/articles/israel-hamas-agree-to-72-hour-cease-fire-say-u-s-and-u-n-1406843388

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/12/world/middleeast/possible-deal-near-to-free-captive-israeli-soldier.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Prisoner-list-includes-planners-of-mass-atrocities