Shas MK Under Fire for Remarks About Gadi Eisenkot's Moroccan Heritage

A political firestorm erupted after Michael Malchieli, a Member of Knesset for the Shas party, made controversial remarks about former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot during an interview on Kan 11. When asked by interviewer Akiva Novik if he was excited about the possibility of Eisenkot, who is of Moroccan descent, becoming the first Moroccan prime minister, Malchieli responded, "I am very excited that we will continue our work for the State of Israel, I am not excited by a pampered Moroccan. I am excited by the work of Shas." Malchieli elaborated that a "Moroccan comes to symbolize tradition, love of Israel, safeguarding Jewish identity," seemingly contrasting this with Eisenkot.

The incident adds to recent controversies surrounding Shas. Ahead of the upcoming elections, the party placed Major (Res.) Dror Amos, who founded the "Chessed Chaim Ve'Emet" (Kindness, Life, and Truth) non-profit, at the sixth spot on its list. However, an investigation by Channel 12 News raised serious questions about the non-profit's operations. According to the report, the organization received approximately two million shekels from the Ministry of Religious Services to aid families bereaved by the October 7th attacks. Representatives from communities in Nir Oz, Kerem Shalom, and the Nova festival, however, claimed they had never heard of the organization or encountered its activities on the ground.