During a heated Knesset committee meeting on Monday, Likud MK Eliyahu Revivo lost his temper with Yehuda Cohen, the father of hostage Nimrod Cohen. The tense exchange prompted the committee’s chairman to call for a break to allow tempers to settle. The Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee session turned tumultuous when Yehuda Cohen declared that he would be willing to take the matter to the International Criminal Court, accusing Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu of “war crimes” committed not just against Palestinians but also Israelis. He was referring to the international arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes related to Gaza, where hostages like his son have been held since the October 7 Hamas attack.
Revivo reacted harshly to Cohen’s comments, labeling them “contemptible” and warning that his efforts to pressure the government for a hostage release agreement could lead to his son’s continued captivity for many more years. During the session, Cohen pointed out the tragic loss of 400 Israeli soldiers in Gaza, saying, “If these [ICC] arrest warrants can make Netanyahu abandon his personal interests and make a deal including the very last hostage, then that is what I will do.”
Cohen emphasized that his statement came as the father of a soldier held hostage in Gaza, and as a father whose daughter is serving in the IDF and another son is an officer in the reserves. He further accused the Israeli government of being influenced by the extreme ideologies of some coalition members who support the establishment of settlements in Gaza, naming MK Simcha Rothman’s Religious Zionism party as part of this group. He harshly condemned the government’s actions, calling it “a murderous ideology,” “fascism,” and “treason.” “The government and the coalition that supports it have betrayed Israel,” he asserted.
At that moment, Revivo sharply interrupted, angrily pointing a finger at Cohen while shouting, “Your contemptible words are condemning your son to the Hamas dungeons for many more years. Who do you think you are?” The chairman, Rothman, instructed Revivo to calm down, to which Revivo fired back, “Quiet! Don’t tell me ‘no.’ You aren’t the boss here.” Rothman then called for a break in the meeting.
Later, Rothman expressed his sympathy for Cohen’s pain but asked him to consider the impact of his words on others, acknowledging the difficult nature of hearing such strong statements. Merav Svirsky, whose parents were killed in the October 7 attack and whose brother is a hostage, responded sharply, “You say that an MK can’t absorb hard remarks. Yehuda is permitted to say what he thinks because his son is a hostage in mortal danger. You are confused, and it is unacceptable for you to ask him to use gentler words.”
Rothman replied, “MKs are also human beings and they have family members who are hostages or who lost their lives on the battlefield, who are fighting at this moment and endangering their lives to save the hostages. In order to hear from more families in an organized manner, even difficult things should be said in a way that enables them to be heard.”
Nimrod Cohen, a 19-year-old soldier, was among the 251 hostages taken to Gaza during the October 7 onslaught, when Hamas terrorists breached the Israeli border, killing approximately 1,200 people. He was taken from the Nachal Oz military post. Hostage family members have been a constant presence at Knesset committee meetings throughout the war, where they have relentlessly urged the government to negotiate a ceasefire agreement that includes the release of their loved ones. The atmosphere at these meetings has often been charged, with Rothman himself clashing with the families. Earlier in the month, he had to cancel a committee session following a dispute with hostage families.
{Matzav.com Israel}