Top Israeli Police Commander, Hero of Oct. 7, Resigns Amid Disputes

Commander of the Central District in the Israel Police, Superintendent Amir Cohen, announced his resignation on Thursday after 38 years of service. Cohen, who was commander of the Southern District during the October 7th Hamas attack and was wounded in combat, is leaving the force less than a year after being appointed to lead the Central District. According to reports, his departure stems from disagreements with the Commissioner of Police, Dani Levi, and other senior officers. Cohen is reportedly considering a future run for the position of Police Commissioner.

One significant clash between Cohen and Levi occurred in May during the presentation of police investigations into the October 7th attack. Cohen expressed dissatisfaction with how the investigation, which covered the Southern District's performance under his command, was presented. Commissioner Levi responded by stating, "We will present what happened there. The officers are heroes, we are committed to the truth for the families of the fallen." Senior officers also criticized command and control during the attack in the Southern District.

Another dispute arose over the apprehension of Haredi draft dodgers. In May, Cohen reportedly opposed allocating police forces to assist the military police in arresting draft dodgers, stating, "The army is dragging us into an incident where we deal with draft dodgers. They won't tell us how to prioritize tasks." Commissioner Levi rejected this, asserting, "There is a High Court ruling here. There is law and order, and we will do what the court said." Cohen's objection was specifically about resource allocation, not a fundamental opposition to arresting draft dodgers.

Cohen's resignation comes less than a year after his appointment to the Central District command, a position agreed upon by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Commissioner Levi in November 2025. Prior to this, Cohen had been considering leaving the police force.

Cohen became a prominent figure due to his role in the October 7th battles. As Southern District commander that morning, he initiated the "Peresh Pleshet" alert and mobilized police forces in response to the infiltrations. He personally participated in fighting in Sderot, was wounded, and continued to command forces for many hours. He was later chosen to light a torch on Israel's 76th Independence Day.

In his resignation statement, Cohen reflected on October 7th, saying, "This is our generation, and it is our turn to fight for our home." He added, "I was privileged to lead the Maccabees of our generation, the policewomen and policemen of the Israel Police, in the battles that prevented the spread of the massacre. Until my last day, I will carry the fallen in my heart, the wounded in body and soul, and I will be grateful for the privilege of serving the country in the uniform of the Israel Police."

Cohen also presented data on the Central District's performance during his tenure, including a 13% decrease in property crimes, a 21% drop in vehicle thefts, and a 67% reduction in murder cases within the Arab community. The district also recruited over 300 new officers during this period, though the comparison timeframe for these statistics was not specified.