Col. (res.) Lior Lotan's dramatic resignation from the role of special negotiator on hostages and missing persons in the Prime Minister's Office last week caught Ayelet, Chemi and Tzur Goldin completely off guard. Lotan had been their anchor in recent years, an elusive and invisible lifeline to their brother, Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was killed in Operation Protective Edge and whose body is being held by Hamas. Lotan's resignation from the voluntary role, which he announced on Thursday, raised many questions. Sources close to Lotan think that he decided to step down after beginning to despair about his appointed task of bringing the remains of Goldin and Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, who was also killed in Gaza campaign, back to Israel for burial. In his announcement, Lotan noted that contacts with Hamas had reached an impasse and cited the general assessment that a significant breakthrough in negotiations was unlikely due to limitations set in place by the political echelon. The Goldin family called Lotan's resignation a "harsh indictment of the helplessness" of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman in the matter of their son and Shaul. Until a replacement for Lotan is found, the role will be filled by Netanyahu's military aide Brig. Gen. Eliezer Toledano. Speaking with Israel Hayom Wednesday, Lotan, spoke about efforts to bring home the Israeli captive and his relationship with their families. Lotan said that as coordinator, he "felt committed to the mission, as I have with every other mission I took upon myself. All of my missions up until now have been undertaken in darkness, against an enemy, and here it was really shaky. I met people whose level of commitment and moral worldview were very high. There's no doubt it affects the way in which you carry out the mission." Q: Was it difficult for you-" "I am not familiar with the word 'difficult.' It was challenging." Q: How do you feel about the Goldin family's claim that they have been abandoned- "They did not direct the complaints at me. I am in ongoing and daily contact with the family, mainly with the parents Simcha and Leah Goldin. And like I say to them and the other families -- I remain committed to them in every way, anywhere and anytime." Q: Do you identify with their claims- "This was a sensitive mission, and we must consider the family's feelings and we must be careful not to give Hamas free points in the battle it is waging at their expense. It would not be right for me to take part in the current public discourse due to the emotions that arise and the need to be sensitive to the families. My taking part in such a debate at this time would be an achievement for Hamas. "Any public debate in Israel is part of Hamas' modus operandi. Its aim is to fragment the Israeli public on the subject of the hostages and the missing, from which it benefits as a result. The more doubts we have, the higher price Hamas can demand. [Hadar's siblings] Ayelet, Chemi, Tzur and their parents, and the rest of the families of the missing and those held captive, they are the reason I do not participate in the public discourse." 'We have been left alone in the battle' Visibly pained by the move, Hadar's twin brother Tzur said, "Lior is a champion negotiator, but they [the government] clipped his wings and did not give him support. When someone like him -- someone who participated in the [1994] abduction of Lebanese terrorist Mustafa Dirani, who took out the terrorist that killed [IDF soldier] Nachshon Wachsman [in 1994], who helped free the [three soldiers] captured in the 2000 Hezbollah cross-border raid -- decides to resign, it reinforces our fears. Hadar doesn't interest Israel's leadership." Q: Did Lotan tell you they had placed limitations on what he could do? "Not directly, but we sensed it in his frustration, every time he put a plan on the table, it wasn't implemented." Q: What was your impression of him as a person- "He is a decent and trustworthy man, a hero and a fighter, who spoke to us as if we were family and not the enemy of the people, which is how the prime minister and the ministers treat us. We put our trust in him, and he did not let us down. He wanted to make conditions more difficult for security prisoners and stop aid to Gaza so that he would have a card to play against Hamas, but every one of his moves was torpedoed from above." Q: Do you plan to keep in touch- "The bond between us was professional. He wouldn't come to family events but always made sure to come to every memorial service. I sent him an SMS and wished him good luck. We have been left alone in the battle." The Goldin family has translated their frustration into a petition that will soon be submitted to the High Court of Justice. In their petition, the family demand Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman uphold the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet's decision, according to which the state will not return bodies of terrorists to their families for burial, but rather hold the remains for use as bargaining chips in negotiations for a future prisoner exchange deal. The Prime Minister's Office responded with a statement saying, "The prime minister and his representatives are working constantly, including at this time, to complete the mission of bringing our sons home. In meetings Prime Minister Netanyahu held with the Goldin family, the family received updates as to the activities underway and proposals for action, including those raised by the family, were discussed. There was no assurance that the soldiers would be part of a reconciliation deal with Turkey." A statement by Lieberman's office said the defense minister "respects, appreciates and cherishes the Goldin family. He is personally committed to the return of IDF soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul as well as to the return of the Israeli citizens [Ethiopian Israeli Avera Mengistu and Bedouin Hisham al-Sayed, who both suffer from mental health issues] held in the Gaza Strip. The defense minister is working intensively with the teams tasked with the issue, and the subject is one of the central issues permanently on his desk. The defense minister will continue to work toward the boys' return, which he sees as of the utmost ethical and moral importance, first and foremost for the families, as well as for the IDF and the State of Israel."
