Oshrat Kotler
Oshrat KotlerChannel 13 News

Executives at Channel 13 News on Sunday decided to assign tight security to anchorwoman Oshrat Kotler due to threats on her life following her statement against IDF soldiers on Saturday.

Kotler made the comments following a story about soldiers from the haredi Netzach Yehuda battalion who are suspected of badly beating two bound and blindfolded Palestinian Arab suspects following their comrades’ deaths in the terrorist attack in Givat Assaf.

"We send our children into the army, to the territories and receive 'human animals’. This is the result of the occupation,” declared Kotler.

Kotler's words were sharply criticized on social media as well as by politicians. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said, "I am proud of the IDF soldiers and I love them very much. Oshrat Kotler's words deserve every condemnation!"

The New Right party asked Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to put Kotler to trial under section 4 of the Defamation Law.

Minister of Education and party chairman Naftali Bennett said, "IDF soldiers are sacrificing their lives so that all of us, including Oshrat Kotler, can sleep quietly. ‘Human animals’ are the terrorists who murder children in their bed, a girl who goes for a walk or an entire family travelling on a highway. IDF soldiers are our children and our strength. Kotler's words damage the reputation of the heroic IDF soldiers and slander them.”

Meretz chairwoman Tamar Zandberg backed Kotler and said, "How miserable and yet expected is the attack on Kotler's correct remarks. Don’t want a reality of occupation and violence? It has to be changed. Closing your eyes and then getting angry at the messenger is not the solution."