Israeli mayor faces threats after decrying 'atrocities' committed in Gaza

An Israeli mayor who decried "atrocities" committed by Israel in Gaza during a Holocaust Day Remembrance speech has faced threats to his safety, with police raising the threat level against him.

Israeli media reported that five people were arrested, including four teenagers, for discussing ways to harm Hod Hasharon Mayor Amir Kochavi.

"Jewish morality dictates, ‘Never again’ — not just to us, but to all peoples, as an ethical and moral command on a just and healthy society," Kochavi said in the speech last week.

"We must not be silent in the face of atrocities carried out against people of other nations in the world — even if they are carried out in our name."

Daily protests have also been held outside the mayor's residence, as well as near his daughter's school and his wife's business, the Times of Israel reported.

"I was not surprised by the announcement that I had been declared to be under threat, but I was very sorry," Kochavi told Israel's Channel 12. In Israel in 2025, the demand for morality and the rights of hostages leads to such attacks. This is unacceptable."

On social media, some have shared Kochavi's phone number, while others have shared posts comparing the mayor to Adolf Hitler.

Criticism from Israeli ministers

Kochavi has also received sharp criticism from Israeli government ministers over his comments.

"The embarrassing words of the mayor of Hod Hasharon are a spit in the face of Holocaust survivors — those who immigrated to the Land of Israel, established a state, and survived the terrible massacre committed by 'other peoples.' " wrote Culture Minister Miki Zohar on X.

"I have no doubt that the vast majority of Hod Hasharon residents repudiate these outrageous statements," he added.

Energy Minister Eli Cohen also took to X to slam the mayor's remarks.

"The same hatred of Jews that led to the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis and their helpers, still flows in the blood of our enemies, whom the soldiers of the IDF are fighting at this very moment," Cohen said.

Israel's war on Gaza has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians since October 2023, with tens of thousands more wounded by the Israeli onslaught.

Following a nearly two-month truce that began in January, Israel resumed its assault on Gaza on 18 March and has vowed to dismantle Hamas.

The course of the war has seen a growing opposition movement to the coalition government of Benjamin Netanyahu, with increasing calls for a deal to be made to secure the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza.