Israeli Politicsupdated 1h ago2 min read
Bereaved Father Yossi Cohen Apologizes To Gadi Eisenkot After Accusing Him Of Murder And Treason
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Yossi Cohen apologized to Gadi Eisenkot for accusing him of treason and murder. The Wednesday meeting included Cohen's wife Orly and produced a joint video statement.
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Apology after protest
Bereaved father Yossi Cohen met on Wednesday with Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot and asked for forgiveness after he had demonstrated outside Eisenkot's home and hurled harsh remarks that included accusations of murdering his own son and treason. Cohen’s wife also participated in the meeting, and the sides published a joint video statement in which Cohen apologized and called for restraint from violence and respect for other opinions.
Cohen said, "A few days ago, I went near the home of MK Gadi Eisenkot and directed harsh and terrible remarks at him and his family," and he added, "I want to call on everyone - Knesset members, aides, and voters - to refrain from violence and respect differing opinions." Cohen is the father of Amit Cohen, who was murdered during the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival on October 7, and Eisenkot’s son Gal Eisenkot fell in battle in the northern Gaza Strip on December 7, 2023, at the age of 25.
Threats, protection, and chants
Ynetnews described Cohen meeting Wednesday afternoon with Yashar! party chairman Gadi Eisenkot, days after Cohen demonstrated outside his home calling him a "traitor" and shouting, "You murdered your son." Cohen and Eisenkot appeared side by side in a recorded statement that ended with a handshake, and Cohen apologized for remarks he made outside Eisenkot’s home.
Cohen said, "A few days ago, I went to the home of Knesset member Gadi Eisenkot and directed terrible and hurtful words at him and his family," and he also called on the public, "to refrain from violence and accept differing opinions." Authorities decided that Eisenkot would receive full Shin Bet protection beginning Wednesday, and security personnel from Unit 730 would replace the private bodyguards who had accompanied him until then.
Yashar attacks Netanyahu
Times of Israel reported that Yashar on Monday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allies of incitement after a protester outside Eisenkot’s home the night before accused him of being responsible for his own son’s death.
The protest, attended by some two dozen protesters, featured chants of “traitor” and the megaphone line “You murdered your son,” referring to Master Sgt. (res.) Gal Eisenkot, who was killed in December 2023 while Eisenkot was serving as a member of the security cabinet.
Times of Israel said the protester also directed threats and insults at Eisenkot’s wife, Hannah, telling her, “You will be next to your son,” and it reported that Channel 12 said the protest continued for several hours only ending at around 9 p.m.
Times of Israel added that Yashar called the incident “the direct result of rotten, unrestrained political leadership that has erased all red lines to stay in power,” and it said Yashar later filed a formal complaint with the Israel Police alleging the man threatened Eisenkot and his wife with “murder.”