Netflix Series 'The Diplomat' Honors Hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin

The fourth season of Netflix's drama series 'The Diplomat,' which premiered last week, features a moving tribute to Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was abducted from the 'Death Bunker' at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, and murdered in Hamas captivity. In the sixth episode, the housekeeper at the ambassador's residence in London, played by Penny Downie, shares a personal story from her past with the ambassador's aide. She recounts an American soldier named Hershel Pollin from Richmond, Virginia, who fought alongside her father in World War II. According to the series' narrative, Pollin saved her father's life by throwing a live grenade away from him, an act that resulted in the loss of his arm.

Although the series' plot is set during World War II, the story serves as a clear homage to Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and lost his arm to a grenade explosion in the bunker. It also honors his friend Aner Shapira, who heroically acted within the bunker, throwing back seven grenades thrown by terrorists until the eighth killed him. The tribute is also to Hersh's mother, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, who commented on the series' gesture. "Many people told us about the episode, but since we don't watch television, we haven't seen it. It's moving to know that many people around the world are trying to ensure that the stories of the hostages are not blurred or erased," she said. The series creator, Deborah Cahn, is a descendant of Holocaust survivors and has previously stated that her Jewish heritage deeply influences her writing and worldview.