Following are some of the remarks released to the media following the notification to the Regev and Goldwasser families by senior IDF officials.
1. Major-General Elazar Stern – Commander of IDF Human Resources
We are in this home, not for the first time. Once again, bringing bitter news, today as well, but alongside the difficult feeling there is a sense of relief, having succeeded in bringing Eldad and Ehud to “kever yisrael”.
2. Major-General Gadi Shamni – IDF Central District Commander
I just informed the Regev family of the positive identification of Eldad z”l. the IDF strengthens and hugs the entire Regev family.
3. Tzvi Regev – Eldad’s father in a phone conversation with Galei Tzahal (Army Radio)
This is a very emotional day. We could not watch too much of it. We prayed and we hoped that we would meet with and hug Eldad.
4. Omri Avni – Karnit Goldwasser’s dad, Ehud’s father-in-law
Thank you Major-General Stern, who gave us the difficult news that Eldad and Ehud were identified as dead. During the meeting, present in the room were Miki and Shlomo (parents), my wife (Ehud’s mother-in-law), Yair and Gadi (brothers) and Karnit (wife).
I must say that after two difficult years, this was the most difficult – the moment in the room. You know that Karnit vowed to bring Ehud home and after accomplishing this, the emotions released. We are all in a difficult state.
We would now like to be left alone to pain, heal, hug and be with one-another. Please, when I am done with my statement, honor the request. Sometime towards evening, we will travel to the Schrage Base to depart from Udi and then make preparations for the funeral. We are in touch with the Shalit family too, and I want to tell them that we began this as three families, and while we are finishing, Gilad is not forgotten and we will remain three families towards bringing Gilad home.
I do not wish to get into details, but I can say that much was done and some of the details given to the family are not for publication, they do not change realities, and we must now part from our loved ones and get on with life.
Ofer Dekel did marvelous work. We were in touch with him for about 18 months and we last spoke a few minutes ago and this is an opportunity to commend him on a wonderful job that was 24/7. The Prime Minister’s Office contributed to convincing the cabinet to accept the deal and we are thankful.
We are in touch with the Regev family and we will speak later and then we will make funeral arrangements.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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One Response
There are so many outrages regarding this story it is hard to know where to begin. L’mashal–For Ehud Allmerde to be hugging the widow when her husband’s blood is on HIS hands, –and… for “general” elazar stern, who with kipah on his head pretends to be a Torah Jew, yet played a major role in the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif, the subsequent change of Gush Katif from a magnificent, productive center of Jewish life into a cesspool of yishmaeli terrorists launching death into nearby Jewish towns – and now he has the chutzpah to come to this widow’s home, when policies like his are responsible for more Jewish deaths!!! HaSh-m Yirachaym!!!