Otzma Yehudit MK fabricates fight with Israeli citizen on live TV

Otzma Yehudit MK Almog Cohen was caught on camera on Wednesday instructing a resident of Sderot to interrupt his live interview with Channel 13 to manufacture a conflict. 

Cohen was in Sderot on Wednesday to rally support and show solidarity with local residents who have been targeted by dozens of Hamas rockets in the last several days. 

“The lax response of the IDF certainly invites the next round, which will continue and damage the lives of our children and the normal fabric of life of the residents of the [Gaza border communities] and the South, who put their trust in us,” Cohen said.

As Cohen was preparing to be interviewed on-site by Channel 13 anchor Uri Koriel, he was seen on camera instructing an aide to tell a passerby to "break into the broadcast." 

"תגיד לו להתפרץ לשידור": ח"כ אלמוג כהן מביים הפרעה לריאיוןצפו בקטע המלא - https://t.co/982PiIQOeb@RavivDrucker pic.twitter.com/HdSjGwK98J

— חדשות 13 (@newsisrael13) May 3, 2023

"Tell him to say something that can bolster me," Cohen told his aide, "but make sure it comes out against the government."

"Residents of Sderot will not be slaughtered in the State of Israel," said the man who interrupted Cohen. "We are not sitting ducks to be massacred."

This exchange was caught on camera unintentionally by Channel 13, and was shared widely on Twitter. 

On Thursday, Cohen addressed the issue in an interview with 103FM radio, saying: "I sent my aide to tell him to interrupt the broadcast so that the cry of Sderot residents could be heard. I'm proud of it, I am not ashamed. The one who should be ashamed is [Channel 13]. 

Almog Cohen's relationship with online videos 

Almog Cohen was censured by the Knesset Ethics Committee in March after he published a live broadcast from the Knesset plenum over social media in February. 

During the live Facebook stream, Cohen hurled insults at opposition members who were speaking. 

He yelled "shut up" at MK Ofer Kasif in Arabic and made sounds used for herding sheep. Cohen told the members of the Knesset sitting next to him, including Shas chairman Aryeh Deri: "You see, you speak to them in their language, they understand you. Like a lamb, that's how you should talk to them. Friends, I don't tell him to be quiet in Hebrew because he doesn't understand Hebrew."

Cohen then filmed Hadash-Ta'al MK Ahmad Tibi, saying "Ahmad Tibi is live," and referring to the fact that Tibi is a doctor, added, "I wouldn't even let him take care of my dog."

As part of Cohen's punishment, he was unable to submit new bills to the Knesset until the end of the Knesset's now-past winter session. He was also barred from speaking for five days in March. 

Eliav Breuer contributed to this report.