New Negotiator: Gov’t Must Do ‘Everything’ to Bring Missing Boys Home From Gaza

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Motzoei Shabbos appointed Yaron Blum as the new government liaison for the return of Israelis held in Gaza by Hamas. Blum, a former top Shin Bet official, was on the Israeli committee that negotiated for the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. He replaces Lior Loran, who resigned from the post two months ago.

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said that Blum “served for many years in the Shin Bet, and was also among those who negotiated for the release of Gilad Shalit.” Blum was quoted as saying that he was “grateful for the opportunity to serve in this position, and I appreciate the trust placed in me by the prime minister. I see this as a national commitment of the first degree.” In an interview with Channel 2, Blum said he saw the job as a sign that the government was committed to bringing missing Israelis home from Gaza. “I believe we have to do everything we can to bring them home, so I was very moved when the prime minister asked me to take on this job.”

The missing Israelis include civilians Avram Mengistu and Hisham a-Said, along with fallen IDF soldiers Oron Shaul, Hy”d, and Hadar Goldin, Hy”d. Shaul and Goldin went missing in August 2014, during Operation Protective Edge. The Goldin family welcomed the appointment, saying that Blum “has a great responsibility but a simple mission — to stand on the values of the IDF and bring Hadar and Oron home. The prime minister has a golden opportunity now to effectively pressure Hamas and to draft the international community in order to bring about a deal to bring our boys home. We have been waiting three years and three months for the return of Hadar, and the clock continues to tick. With the new liaison, Netanyahu must bring back our boys, here and now.”

The Shaul family voiced similar thoughts. “We demand that the return of our boys be a priority for the government,” family members said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we have had to wait for two months with no activity or progress, since the resignation of Lior Lotan. We hope and pray for the success of Yaron Blum.”