MK Almog Cohen Resigns - Letter Accidentally Leaked

Israeli lawmaker Almog Cohen (Otzma Yehudit) announced his resignation from his role as project coordinator for the government’s planned authority to assist the bereaved families of the October 7 Hamas massacre. Cohen said he was stepping down because the government had not given him the necessary tools to fulfill his mission. However, his resignation letter — intended for the families — was mistakenly sent to the media.

The letter was accompanied by a response from the bereaved families, members of the “Din V’Tzedek” (Law and Justice) forum. They recalled that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had promised during a protest tent visit to establish a dedicated authority for the families, appointing Cohen to lead the effort. But according to them, nothing had progressed since.

“We have approached you together and separately, all the representatives of the families, regarding the matter of the families, which for over 20 months have been falling between the cracks,” they wrote.

The families noted that about a month ago they met Cohen in his Knesset office, where he promised that if no progress was made within two days, he would issue a letter returning his powers. “But the matter was postponed again and again, and not handled,” they charged. “Strangely, yesterday Eliran Dahan contacted you saying he would publicize the lack of action for the families — and immediately you issue the letter.”

The families expressed anger at what they called deliberate stalling and accused Cohen of acting only under media pressure:

“Did you need a public figure to say he would post about the matter in order to act? Acting only when a social media influencer contacts you is an insult to the families of the victims.”

The incident has sparked criticism both for the government’s handling of support for the October 7