Channel 14 Host Yinon Magal Clarifies Remarks to Bereaved Families

Yinon Magal, a host on Channel 14 and radio station 103 FM, addressed on Wednesday morning remarks he made the previous day towards bereaved families, hostage survivors, and their relatives. Magal, who did not apologize, stated that he had "excluded the families of the hostages" from his criticism but did not retract his statements. These comments were part of an aggressive monologue directed at the signatories of the book "Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr. Abandonment, The Legacy of the One Who Abandoned the Hostages."

Speaking on air, Magal said, "I must say that I excluded the families of the hostages yesterday. I don't think one should speak like that about the families of the hostages, and I should have done it earlier and clarified that I am not talking about the families of the hostages, who are already suffering greatly and have suffered a terrible disaster and it is a terrible tragedy. I should have done it from the start, and it was a mistake that I didn't do it from the start. I completely accept that. I had no intention of hurting the families."

Magal's remarks were published on Wednesday only on the official page of 103 FM, not on his personal account. The previous day, Magal read out the names of the book's signatories, calling them "abhorrent people." He added that the "only thing that can forgive them is if they slip the ballot for 'Mahl' to Netanyahu in the elections." He urged them to vote "Mahl" as their "only option to atone for the abomination they did by participating in the book 'Mr. Abandonment.'"

At the end of his remarks, he attacked the signatories further, stating, "All the names I read will be remembered for eternal disgrace on the pillar of shame. These are the most despicable people living in the State of Israel, who fabricated a blood libel against Benjamin Netanyahu, that he is 'Mr. Abandonment.'"

Magal's co-host, journalist Ben Caspit, pointed out on Tuesday that these were families of victims from October 7th. Magal responded, "For the purpose of the matter, I will exclude these families."

Some of those mentioned in Magal's monologue responded directly on Tuesday. Ophri Bivas, sister of Yarden Bivas, whose wife Shiri and children Ariel and Kfir were murdered, wrote on X: "The only ones I will ask for forgiveness from until the day I die are Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir." Il Ashel, whose daughter Roni was murdered, wrote, "I want to apologize to Netanyahu that my daughter was murdered on his watch. Yinon Magal, did I do it right?" Gil Dickman, cousin of Carmel Gat who was murdered in captivity, wrote: "May Yocheved Lifshitz return to Gaza, may the Bivas family apologize, may Adina Moshe and Nili Margalit ask forgiveness from Netanyahu! And only if we vote Mahl! Maybe they will forgive us!! A criminal organization that extorts its victims."