As hostage negotiations slowly crystallize, the dream of returning all 98 hostages feels more palpable, a way to wake us from this never-ending nightmare. The effects of it are felt in every crevice of our society, from the yellow flags to the car stickers to the posters at bus stops.
As steeped as it is though, there are not enough words to relay the experiences of hostage families and the families that have lost their own in this war.
That is why the behavior of some coalition members toward these individuals is first shocking, then nauseating, and finally infuriating. If it were one breach of conduct against nearly none, if it was barely a dent in what would be a generally respectful and understanding mode of behavior, this would be a different conversion. But it is a sad and concerning trend.
These are elected officials; their salaries are paid by the public that votes them in. The absolute least that can be expected of them is silence in the face of these family members and, at most, a nod of understanding, of holding space for the range of emotions they are feeling.
No one who isn’t a part of this tragic circle can understand it. So when yet another instance of disgraceful behavior by coalition MKs towards these family members is recorded, the only response should be, “How is this even possible? How is this the sadly consistent and normalized behavior of our representatives?”
Yehuda Cohen, the father of 20-year-old hostage Nimrod Cohen, said at a Knesset Constitution Committee meeting yesterday, “I support international law [referring to the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant] since the State of Israel and the coalition propping it up, betrayed this country.
“I, as the father of a hostage, a daughter in active duty, and a son in reserves, support the arrest warrants against Netanyahu because not only is he committing war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza, he is committing them against IDF soldiers by prolonging this pointless war. Four hundred soldiers have already been killed in Gaza. If these warrants serve to push Netanyahu to a complete deal, I will do that.”
Cohen then moved to repeat what he said about the government betraying the state and its people and was cut off by Likud MK Eliyahu Revivo, who said, “Continue to say these abhorrent things, and you’re subjecting your son to many more years in Hamas’s tunnels.”
To his credit, committee chairman MK Simcha Rothman cut Revivo off immediately, requested he be removed, and put the committee out for a short break. Revivo later apologized.
Sadly, the list of similar experiences goes far and back, including those in the Knesset Finance Committee yesterday as well.
It’s not about what Cohen said, whether it is true or agreeable; the worst acceptable response should have been complete silence. When former prime minister Naftali Bennett was heckled by bereaved families at a Remembrance Day event in 2022, he stood at the podium for several minutes in silence and allowed the shouting to continue. He finally said, “The bereaved families are sacred. They can shout, and they can grieve.”
That moment was impressionable and not for nothing. Because it had – and still has – nothing to do with politics. All that was tested in that moment was decency and humanity, the assumed characteristics of individuals salaried by the public for their service.
It can’t be easy
As members of the coalition in power when the October 7 massacre took place, it can’t be easy to shoulder that responsibility and grief, especially when the protest methods might not always be deemed respectful.
But, this happened on their watch; there have been an embarrassing handful of public apologies, and there is a consistent refusal to establish a state commission of inquiry into its failures relating to October 7. Such a commission would not only provide answers to the families but establish long-awaited accountability and restore the human decency standard to the parliament.
Elected officials might not like or agree with what these family members are saying, but the responsibility remains to listen. They gave everything, the highest sacrifice imaginable; the least they can be shown is human decency.