Almog Cohen (politician)

Almog Cohen
Almog Cohen
אלמוג כהן‎
	Cohen in 2022
Faction represented in the Knesset
2022–	Otzma Yehudit
Personal details
Born	1988 (age 35–36); Beersheba, Israel
Political party	Otzma Yehudit
Residence	Ofakim

Almog Cohen (Hebrew: אלמוג כהן‎; born 12 January 1988^[1]) is an Israeli far-right politician,^[2]^[3]^[4] former police officer, and militia founder from the city of Beersheba in the Negev region. He has served as a member of the Knesset for Otzma Yehudit since 2022.^[5] He has served as a regional coordinator for the party.^[6] Owing to his police and militia background, Cohen acquired nicknames including "the sheriff" and "the warrior from the Negev" within the party.^[7]^[8]

Prior to his political career, Cohen organized a militia force in the Negev region, which was created to "fight crime among Bedouins".^[9] Following his entry into politics, Cohen was accused of police brutality by a Negev Bedouin family after he posted a photo showing himself involved in a 2013 arrest.^[10] Ahead of the 2022 Israeli legislative election, Cohen removed wide traces of his digital footprint, including calls to "wash the streets of Gaza with blood".^[7] In 2022, he claimed that the alleged 2021 rape by a Negev Bedouin of a 10-year-old Jewish girl in her home is what made him become an activist.^[7]^[11]

After entering the Knesset following the 2022 election, Cohen briefly served on the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee before being removed by party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir over insubordination.^[12] In January 2023, Cohen was suspended from Twitter for his calls to "keep killing them" following a raid in the Jenin refugee camp that led to the deaths of nine Palestinians.^[13] In February 2023, Cohen broadcast a rant in the Knesset in which he compared Arab MKs to animals;^[14] he was subsequently reprimanded by the Knesset's ethics panel.^[15]

^ "Knesset Member Almog Cohen". www.knesset.gov.il. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
^ "After IDF raid, far-right MK suspended from Twitter for call to 'keep killing them'". The Times of Israel. 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
^ "Israel Judicial Overhaul: Netanyahu Delays Plan to Overhaul Top Court". The New York Times. 2023-03-28. Far-right lawmaker Almog Cohen called for supporters of the judicial overhaul to join a counterprotest on Monday evening outside the Parliament building in Jerusalem, but echoed calls for nonviolence.
^ Kadari-Ovadia, Shira; Shpigel, Noa (19 June 2023). "'I'll Blow It Up': Far-right MKs Threaten Summer Camp for Israeli and Palestinian Orphans". Haaretz. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
^ Breuer, Eliav (2 August 2022). "Smotrich, Ben-Gvir close to merger agreement". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
^ Yefet, Nati (17 March 2022). "With Police Backing, Far-right Activist Sets Up Armed Group 'To Save' Israel's Negev". Haaretz. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
^ ^a ^b ^c Iraqi, Amjad (2022-10-03). "Kahanism's triumphant makeover". +972 Magazine. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
^ "Who are Itamar Ben-Gvir's fellow party members and what do they believe?". The Jerusalem Post. 2022-11-02. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference :7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Girl, 10, allegedly molested by home intruders in south; father slams 'anarchy'". The Times of Israel. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
^ Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[1] "Knesset Member Almog Cohen". www.knesset.gov.il. Retrieved 2024-04-19.

[2] "After IDF raid, far-right MK suspended from Twitter for call to 'keep killing them'". The Times of Israel. 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2023-11-08.

[:10-3] "Israel Judicial Overhaul: Netanyahu Delays Plan to Overhaul Top Court". The New York Times. 2023-03-28. Far-right lawmaker Almog Cohen called for supporters of the judicial overhaul to join a counterprotest on Monday evening outside the Parliament building in Jerusalem, but echoed calls for nonviolence.

[4] Kadari-Ovadia, Shira; Shpigel, Noa (19 June 2023). "'I'll Blow It Up': Far-right MKs Threaten Summer Camp for Israeli and Palestinian Orphans". Haaretz. Retrieved 2023-11-08.

[:0-5] Breuer, Eliav (2 August 2022). "Smotrich, Ben-Gvir close to merger agreement". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2 August 2022.

[6] Yefet, Nati (17 March 2022). "With Police Backing, Far-right Activist Sets Up Armed Group 'To Save' Israel's Negev". Haaretz. Retrieved 2023-11-07.

[:3-7] Iraqi, Amjad (2022-10-03). "Kahanism's triumphant makeover". +972 Magazine. Retrieved 2023-11-08.

[:5-8] "Who are Itamar Ben-Gvir's fellow party members and what do they believe?". The Jerusalem Post. 2022-11-02. Retrieved 2023-11-08.

[:6-9] Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[:7-10] Cite error: The named reference :7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[11] "Girl, 10, allegedly molested by home intruders in south; father slams 'anarchy'". The Times of Israel. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2023.

[:8-12] Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[:1-13] Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[:9-14] Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[:2-15] Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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