After Death of American-Israeli Man, Governor Youngkin Orders All US Flags To Be Flown At Half Staff

Photo byCripi, via Pixabay

RICHMOND, Va — Governor Glenn Youngkin announced an order for all United States flags to be flown at half-staff on September 3 in memory of Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

Goldberg-Polin, 23, was one of several individuals wounded and abducted by Hamas during the Re'im music festival massacre on October 7, 2023.

Since then, international news reporters occasionally provided possible Goldberg-Polin sightings. Often included were hopeful but somber interviews with his parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg.

After being held hostage for almost 11 months, the body of Goldberg-Polin was recovered from Rafah in the Gaza Strip on August 31.

On September 1, Governor Glenn Youngkin issued this statement:

“After 330 agonizing days since the brutal terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th that left more than 1,200 dead and hundreds more held hostage, Johnathan Polin and Rachel Goldberg woke up to unimaginable news that no parent should ever receive.

Suzanne and I are angered and heartbroken by the death of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a senseless murder at the hands of terrorists. Today, Virginians, Americans, and the world join the Goldberg-Polin family and the Keneseth Beth Israel Synagogue in prayer.”

Hersh Goldberg-PolinPhoto byCourtesy Goldberg-Polin family

Goldberg-Polin’s parents were both originally from the Chicago area. He was born in Berkeley, California. He briefly lived in Richmond, before immigrating to Israel with his family at the age of seven in 2008. He was one of six hostages whose bodies were found in Gaza on Saturday

In a separate email on September 1, Youngkin issued the following statement:

In accordance with the authority vested in me as Governor, I hereby order that the flags of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Virginia be flown at half-staff on all state and local buildings and grounds in the Commonwealth of Virginia in memory and respect of Hersh Goldberg-Polin. His body was discovered on August 31st by Israeli forces in a tunnel beneath the Gaza city of Rafah after he was held hostage by Hamas terrorist following the attack on October 7th.

I hereby order that the flags shall be lowered at sunrise on Tuesday, September 3, 2024 and remain at half-staff until sunset.

A funeral ceremony was held for Hersh Goldberg-Polin in Israel on September 2.