Minister Miki Zohar Refuses to Call October 7 Attack Israel's Worst Tragedy

Israeli Minister Miki Zohar sparked controversy during a Monday interview on Kan Reshet Bet by refusing to label the October 7 massacre as "the hardest event in Israel's history." Speaking with host Esti Perez Ben Ami, Zohar described the attack as "one of the hardest" the country has faced but compared it to previous wars like Yom Kippur and the Six-Day War, which he said were equally difficult. When pressed to call October 7 the worst event, Zohar dismissed the question as "nonsense," telling the interviewer she was focusing on trivialities despite the gravity of the attack.

The interview began with questions about coalition legislative votes before the Knesset recess, where Zohar defended the government's actions and described the current term as "very complex" due to the October 7 events. After refusing to continue the discussion on the massacre, Zohar abruptly ended the interview.

His remarks provoked strong reactions from families of victims and survivors of the October 7 attack. Einav Tsengauker, whose son survived Hamas captivity, criticized Zohar for downplaying the tragedy and accused the government of trying to erase the event to maintain power. Sheli, mother of Libi Cohen who was killed in the attack, called October 7 the largest massacre in Israel's history and condemned attempts to forget the victims' suffering. Shiri Matias, whose parents were murdered in Kibbutz Holit, and Liran Berman, brother to captivity survivors Gali and Ziv Berman, also condemned Zohar, labeling him a denier of the massacre and expressing outrage at his comments.

The backlash highlights ongoing tensions in Israeli society over the handling and memory of the October 7 attack, which remains a deeply painful and divisive subject.