Ben Kogan, a ZOA-Betar leader, asked President Isaac Herzog, during the American Zionist Movement (AZM) conference, about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial and called on Herzog to grant Netanyahu an immediate, unconditional pardon.
Kogan called it “a matter of national urgency and responsibility” and stressed that Israel needs unity now.
The audience booed Kogan as he spoke. Herzog responded, “Let’s not argue. We made it very clear that we should focus on the challenges of the Zionist movement in America and so we’ll take the last question.”
Writing to Arutz Sheva-Israel National News after the incident, Kogan claimed that his mic was turned off after he asked the question and that detectives were summoned to escort him out of the room, though they eventually did not.
“All I said is that it’s not Bibi who should ask for forgiveness, but the Jewish people who undermine him at the time of war,” he wrote. “They don’t do it for Hamas supporters who burn US flags.”
Ronn Torossian, Chairman of Betar Worldwide, responded, “Where is the pluralism of American Jews who speak of unity? By booing they disrespect both the democracy of the US, whose President Trump has insisted on a pardon. And they rant and rave against PM Netanyahu, the democratically elected leader of the Jewish state.”
“Sadly, for the AZM to call the NYPD on a Zionist leader who supports Netanyahu is symbolic of a very scared Jewish community in NYC,” he added.