Father of Israeli hostage calls for Palestinian recognition

Australia Broadcast Center

4 days ago

Despite grappling with fears for a son held hostage in the middle of a deadly war zone, Yehuda Cohen still holds onto hope.
"I have three children, I'm going to have three children until the last day of my life," he said.
"Nimrod will come back and complete our family."
It is a sentiment which is obviously fuelled by a father's love, but it is also borne out of necessity — a sense of purpose, even as the window of opportunity for his family to be reunited with one another seems to be getting narrower by the hour.
"We know Nimrod is alive," Mr Cohen tells the ABC, revealing there have been multiple 'proof of life' messages passed to the family in the 22 months he's been held captive.
"Hamas has a clear interest to keep them alive because they use them as a ransom, they use it as a life insurance.
"[Israeli] army intelligence know, more or less, where they are located, and since they are not manoeuvring in that area, Hamas knows that."
Nimrod Cohen was 19 years old on October 7, 2023 when Hamas launched its deadly attacks on Israel, the catalyst for the war in Gaza.
Around 1,200 people were killed that day, and he was among 250 taken hostage and dragged back into Gaza.
The soldier was stationed near the kibbutzes of Nirim and Nir Oz, close to the Gaza border. Video from the day of the attacks shows soldiers in the area being pulled out of an Israeli tank by Hamas fighters.
Yehuda Cohen and his wife Viki have been fighting for the return of their son, now aged 21, ever since. But the family is worried his life will be collateral, as Israel's Prime Minister expands his military's campaign in Gaza.
"We know Netanyahu is working for political interests — whatever will leave him on his throne as prime minister," Mr Cohen said.
He believes there is a pressure point still available to the international community to help make Mr Netanyahu bend — recognition of a Palestinian state.
There is a lot of anger in Israel directed at the Netanyahu government for its handling of the war in Gaza, particularly with what are seen as repeated missed opportunities to end the fighting and ensure the return of the remaining Israeli hostages.
Fifty Israelis are being held in Gaza by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, but only 20 are believed to be alive.
The Prime Minister has now announced plans to occupy more of the Gaza Strip, with the Israeli security cabinet agreeing to a proposal for Israeli troops to move into one of the war-ravaged territory's most densely populated areas, Gaza City.
Benjamin Netanyahu has the return of the hostages as one of his key goals in the war in Gaza, but Yehuda Cohen is not convinced the fate of his son is front and centre in the prime minister's thinking.
"Netanyahu doesn't want a deal, because Netanyahu is being pressed by his extremists in the government to conquer Gaza and build settlements," he said.
For many months, Mr Netanyahu has been criticised by the families of hostages and his political opponents for pandering to vocal, right-wing members of his coalition government — ministers like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who not only agitated for the war to intensify but have demanded all food to the Gazan population be blocked.
It is the influence of those two men on government policy which has infuriated the Cohen family, even as they understand the difficulties in getting their son home.
In any ceasefire and hostage deal, it is likely Nimrod Cohen would be among the last to be freed — as a serving Israeli soldier, his value to Hamas in negotiations is far greater.
"My son, Nimrod, when he will be released, it's going to cost the Israeli government hundreds of Palestinian terrorists to be released — as a deceased, it will be a few tens of deceased or dead Palestinian terrorist bodies, so it's cheaper," Mr Cohen said.
"They don't talk, the deceased ones don't talk, and we saw hostages returning the last deal — they told their horrible story, and it's not convenient to Netanyahu's ears.
"If they are all dead, now Netanyahu can say 'we can go brute force on Gaza and bomb everywhere.'"
Even while dealing with anxiety for his son's fate, Yehuda Cohen's views on what should happen next are quite nuanced.
One of his views in particular may seem surprising, given how debate over the issue has been described in recent months as a "reward for Hamas".
"European countries, Britain … and Canada announced that they are going to recognise the Palestinian state in the next UN session in September," he said.
"I went out for supporting that act, saying that we need to put any pressure possible on Netanyahu, on his government, to force them to end the war and get a hostage deal.
"And, of course, if something will proceed regarding a Palestinian state, it will have to start with ending the war, and ending the war won't happen without a hostage deal — that's why I publicly support that."
France has said it will recognise a Palestinian state at the next UN General Assembly meeting in September. The UK has said it would do so at the same time, if Israel did not commit to a ceasefire and hostage deal.
Canada has joined suit, in a slightly different way, demanding reforms to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank as a precondition for recognition.
Australia is yet to join the line of countries to recognise Palestinian statehood, although the Federal Government has sharpened its rhetoric on the issue and said it is a matter of "when, not if" it will become official Australian policy.
While the families of Israeli hostages fear what will happen to their loved ones under the expanded Israeli military offensive, the campaign will have a devastating impact for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza.
The ABC spoke to some in Gaza City, including those who had been displaced multiple times.
Samira Abu Odeh, 70, has had to move five times during 22 months of war.
"We're thankful to God, we're living by our means, there are others worse," she told the ABC.
"But my brother was martyred, my cousin was martyred, our close loved ones all were killed.
"We get upset about our loved ones, our people as well — there was this family that went to the place where they help feed, but they killed them."
Ms Abu Odeh said she was not scared of what would happen once the expanded occupation began.
"My wants and desires? They are that I hope Netanyahu dies, and I hope we get victory and we are left alone.
"They want to make us refugees, and it doesn't matter what they do to us, we are not going to be expelled from Gaza.
"You want to kill your youth, our kids …you guys are like people who kill children, criminals."
There is a sense of history repeating for Fadel Naeem, 71. He believed Mr Netanyahu was making a big mistake.
"The fires of hell will interfere and help if [Israel] thinks of occupying Gaza," he said.
"It's known that their military is tired and weak, but he wants to occupy and fight Gaza?
"Like after 2005, like when Ariel Sharon withdrew in 2005 — Netanyahu should take note from what Sharon did.
"He is not a military man, and never has been."
Mr Naeem shared the sentiments across the border in Israel, about the expansion of the war being solely political.
"It won't work. He want to do whatever he wants, he is plotting towards a plan.
"He is afraid of hurting his political future and he wants to slaughter Palestinians while doing it."