'We All Failed You.' Heartbreak At Funeral For Israeli-American Hostage In Jerusalem

JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli-American family that became an world awesome successful nan struggle to free hostages from Hamas captivity successful Gaza laid their boy to remainder connected Monday aft nan find of his assemblage and those of 5 others brought a caller outpouring of grief.

Tens of thousands of group thronged a Jerusalem cemetery to salary their respects to Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who became 1 of nan astir recognizable faces of nan astir year-old hostage crisis. Hundreds of others lined a awesome thoroughfare successful Jerusalem, holding Israeli flags.

Many sobbed arsenic his mother, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, said goodbye to her boy and told him, “My saccharine boy, finally, finally, yet you are free!”

She and her husband, Jon, shared stories of their 23-year-old son, who they called funny, funny and relentless successful nan pursuit of justice. They said they hoped his decease mightiness beryllium a turning constituent successful drawn-out negotiations for a cease-fire and hostage release.

Rachel Goldberg-Polin said nan past 330 days had been “such torment that closed my pharynx and made my psyche pain pinch third-degree burns.” She told her son: “I nary longer request to interest astir you, you are nary longer successful danger.”

His begetter added: “We grounded you, we each grounded you. ... Maybe your decease is nan stone, nan fuel, that will bring location nan 101 different hostages.”

Israel’s subject announced Sunday that nan bodies of Goldberg-Polin and nan five others had been discovered successful an underground passageway successful nan confederate Gaza Strip. Israeli forensics experts said they had been changeable astatine adjacent scope and died connected Thursday aliases Friday, soon earlier Israeli troops reached nan passageway successful confederate Gaza wherever they were held.

Their deaths sparked protests by hundreds of thousands of group successful Israel, pinch galore saying nan hostages could person been returned live if a cease-fire woody had been reached.

Three of nan six hostages, including Goldberg-Polin, were reportedly scheduled to beryllium released successful nan first shape of a cease-fire connection discussed successful July.

“I apologize connected behalf of nan authorities of Israel that we grounded to protect you successful nan unspeakable disaster of Oct. 7, that we grounded to bring you location safely,” Israel’s President Isaac Herzog said successful a eulogy.

Goldberg-Polin, a autochthonal of Berkeley, California, was attending a euphony show erstwhile Hamas-led militants stormed into confederate Israel, sidesplitting immoderate 1,200 group and taking 250 others hostage. He mislaid portion of his near limb to a grenade blast during nan attack. In April, a Hamas-issued video, showed him speaking nether duress pinch his near manus missing, sparking caller protests successful Israel.

Hamas accuses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging retired cease-fire talks by issuing caller demands, including for lasting Israeli power complete two strategical corridors successful Gaza. Netanyahu claimed connected Monday nighttime he has accepted Biden’s erstwhile proposals and blamed Hamas for nan deficiency of progress.

Netanyahu besides has blamed Hamas for nan deaths of Goldberg-Polin and nan 5 others, saying “whoever murders hostages doesn’t want a deal.”

Smaller protests continued successful Israel connected Monday, and Israel’s largest waste and acquisition national held a wide strike, nan first since nan Oct. 7 Hamas attack, to unit nan authorities for a deal.

Goldberg-Polin’s U.S.-born parents became 2 of nan astir high-profile relatives of hostages connected nan world stage. They met pinch U.S. President Joe Biden, Pope Francis and others. They addressed nan United Nations and nan Democratic National Convention, urging nan merchandise of each hostages.

Rachel Goldberg-Polin ended galore speeches pinch a connection for her son: “We emotion you, enactment strong, survive.”

At nan funeral, she echoed nan plea she had made for months successful nan dream that someway he could hear.

“And Hersh, there’s 1 past point I request you to do for us,” she said. “Now, I request you to thief america enactment strong, and I request you to thief america survive.”

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Israeli AmericanHersh Goldberg-Polin