Israeli Deputy Minister Almog Cohen Blames Refusal to Serve for October 7 Massacre on 1,000th Day Commemoration

Deputy Minister Almog Cohen publicly rejected any government responsibility for the October 7 massacre, attributing the tragedy instead to "refusal to serve" in the military. On the 1,000th day since the attack, Cohen accused the far-left of marking the day to politicize the event, stating, "The far-left is commemorating today 1,000 days since the terrible massacre caused by the disaster of refusal to serve. We do not need a special reminder; we remember the tragedy every day, every hour."

The Israeli government, including Cohen, consistently claims that the refusal to serve in the military contributed to the massacre, although this has never been proven. The government also refuses to establish a state commission of inquiry to investigate the events leading up to October 7. Meanwhile, the 1,000th day was marked by the "October Council," a coalition of over 1,500 bereaved families, survivors of Hamas captivity, and massacre survivors. They organized protests outside the Knesset, at Karkur Junction, and Paris Square in Jerusalem, with dozens of demonstrators at each location. At exactly 6:29 a.m., bereaved parents lit memorial candles for their children on the Nova website.