"We've Been Let Down": Parents of Murdered Israeli-American Hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin Struggle with Overwhelming Grief
"I'm surprised we haven't witnessed world leaders collectively demanding the release of the hostages on a global stage yet," remarked Jon Polin in an exclusive chat with CNN's Anderson Cooper on Monday, accompanied by his spouse, Rachel Goldberg.
Both of them wore badges with "374" inscribed on them, representing the number of days that had passed since the hostages were captured by Hamas in Gaza.
"I thought we'd see a global call for action and I'm still waiting for it. The world let us down... it failed many of these hostages, including Hersh," Polin expressed his discontent.
Goldberg-Polin, one of six hostages, was found dead by the Israeli military in tunnels underneath Gaza, apparently slaughtered by Hamas.
Polin admitted that when they voiced concerns regarding Hamas' potential execution of the hostages as military tension escalated, Israeli officials assured them such circumstance was highly unlikely.
Three other hostages, including Goldberg-Polin, were expected to be freed during the initial stage of a ceasefire arrangement. The hostages' demise sparked widespread fury and nationwide demonstrations in Israel over Benjamin Netanyahu's administration's failure to secure a hostages-for-ceasefire agreement.
"We had some concerns about that all along. Despite our optimism about bringing Hersh home, there was a doubt lurking in the back of our minds about the outcome," Polin shared. "I fear that if we don't save others soon, more families will face the devastating news that we have."
Goldberg emphasized on "people in power" to "save the remaining 101 hostages in Gaza." "Thousands and thousands of people are suffering in Gaza. Some have lived there for years; others, like the 374-day residents, it's time to bring them home," she told Cooper.
Goldberg-Polin's parents have been among the most vocal of the hostage families petitioning Netanyahu to seek an agreement ensuring their relatives' safe return. They've also frequently met with top US officials in Washington to advocate for the hostages.
Goldberg-Polin was among the numerous young attendees at the Nova music festival in southern Israel on October 7, the day when Hamas launched its attacks, leading to over 1,200 fatalities and approximately 250 hostages.
He and some of his friends sought shelter but found themselves trapped by militants who began lobbing grenades into the bunker. Goldberg-Polin helped to throw some of the grenades back out of the shelter before his left arm was severed halfway down from an explosion, according to a friend's account.
Video footage from that day captured Goldberg-Polin being hauled out of the bunker – with his limb blown off and bone protruding from his wrist – and forced into the back of a truck along with four others.
His parents revealed that Goldberg-Polin and the other hostages were later kept in a tunnel 65 feet beneath the ground, barely large enough for the 6ft tall Goldberg-Polin to stand upright. They endured severe malnutrition, weighing just 115 pounds before his death, according to his father.
They also detailed his final moments, suggesting that he had shielded himself with both arms when shot, which resulted in a bullet hitting his right hand, passing through his shoulder, and then exiting from his neck.
"It seems that when he was being shot, he had positioned both his arms to protect himself. A bullet went through his right hand through his shoulder actually into his neck then out the side of his head," Goldberg explained.
"Supposedly, he was crouching down at that point... they believe that then, he fell to his knees and then he was shot with the gun pointing at the back of his head... and he was discovered on his knees two days later."
A choice to 'choose life'
The news of their son being among the six dead hostages discovered by the Israeli military was "a devastating blow, and we are still struggling with it," Polin confessed.
He revealed that they had spent "so much time beyond our public advocacy campaign in our apartment with our two daughters, planning for his homecoming. What would our family look like? What would the celebration be like?"
"It's heartbreaking to spend so much time being hopeful, optimistic, and focused only to have it end like this," Polin lamented, adding that they often wondered if their hope had worked against them.
"Maybe our optimism was something that influenced others to not act urgently, feeling like he'd come home sometime somehow... maybe it was too overwhelming," Polin mused.
Goldberg added, "I'm just trying to get through each day. We've taken our first step in a journey of a million miles to find a way to live the rest of our lives yearning and missing our son."
Born in Oakland, California, Goldberg-Polin immigrated with his family to Israel at age 7. An elder brother to two sisters, he was a "happy-go-lucky, laid-back, good-humored, respectful, and curious person" who loved soccer and music, as described by his mother.
She later declared that the family had resolved to "live" and "not just exist" following his demise.
"I want to live the life that Hersh should have lived, filled with love, happiness, and light. We will always have this profound void, but it's still possible to have that void and be happy and choose life."
The global community has been quiet on the issue, with no significant calls for action from world leaders regarding the hostages in the Middle East. Goldberg-Polin's tragic death in Gaza sparked nationwide demonstrations in Israel, highlighting the urgency for international intervention.
