Responding to ex-hostage interview, Herzog says Israel has ‘no luxury’ for internal conflict

President Isaac Herzog calls for increased national unity and strong action to ensure the return of hostages in Gaza after viewing yesterday’s interview with freed captive Eliya Cohen.

On a visit to Tiberias, Herzog calls Cohen’s interview “deeply unsettling” and says that “we must be united and do everything in our power to bring [the remaining hostages] back,” according to a readout from his office.

“I believe in the people of Israel. I believe in our cohesion and unity,” says the president, while meeting with the city’s local youth, adding that “we have no privilege, no luxury, to fight among ourselves.”

Cohen, who was held captive by Hamas terrorists for 505 days, said yesterday that Hamas-led terrorists intentionally starved him, and that they killed another captive who tried to escape as they were being taken to Gaza on October 7, 2023.

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in recent weeks to demonstrate against the government and demand the return of the 59 hostages still held in Gaza following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to resume fighting in Gaza and his moves to fire the head of the Shin Bet and attorney general.

Amid growing societal tensions and strong statements from officials on both sides of the political spectrum, Herzog says he “utterly reject[s] any thought of civil war,” and that “we must act responsibly and call on all our public representatives to lower the tone and behave responsibly as well.”

“We have a sacred mission: to safeguard Israel and not slide into division or the disasters that have struck our people in generations past,” says the president.

Herzog says that returning the hostages must be placed as the “highest priority,” and that doing so is “a deeply significant foundation in the psychology of our people, a nation that dreams, prays, and yearns to see our sisters and brothers return home.”

During his visit, Herzog visited the tomb of major Jewish scholar Maimonides, where he prayed for the swift return of the hostages, the safety and success of IDF soldiers, and for the memory of those who fell or were murdered during the ongoing war, the President’s Office says.