Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s funeral in Jerusalem drew large crowds, with mourners blaming the Israeli government for not securing a cease-fire deal.
Thousands of mourners gathered in Jerusalem on Monday to pay their respects to Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old Israeli-American who was among six hostages recently executed by Hamas.
Goldberg-Polin’s funeral, held at a cemetery in the Israeli capital, drew large crowds, many waving Israeli flags and dressed in the colors of his favorite soccer team. Mourners lined a major road as the procession made its way to the cemetery.
“We all failed you”, said Jon Goldberg-Polin, Hersh’s father, in an emotional eulogy. “Maybe your death is the stone, the fuel, that will bring home the 101 other hostages.”
The family’s heart-wrenching farewell was a focal point of the ceremony, with his mother, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, expressing both sorrow and relief that his excruciating ordeal has come to an end. “Finally, finally, finally, you are free!” she spoke to her son, whose image has been emblazoned on banners and posters in protests across Israel and around the world.
“Hersh. If there was something we could have done to save you, and we didn’t think of it, I beg your forgiveness. We tried so very hard, so deeply and desperately. I’m sorry”, his mother added.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog attended the funeral and personally addressed the family, asking for forgiveness for “failing” to bring Hersh home alive.
In an address to the nation shortly after, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also asked Israelis, increasingly furious over the lack of a hostage deal, for their forgiveness as he laid out why Israel must maintain control over a vital corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border that has been a sticking point in the negotiations.
