Olympic Medalist Slams Minister Chikli Over Lieberman Impersonation
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
Olympic medalist Peter Paltchik criticized Israeli Minister Amichai Chikli for mocking the Russian accent of politician Avigdor Lieberman during a radio interview. Paltchik, an immigrant from the Soviet Union, called Chikli's actions shameful and demanded an apology, stating the imitation hurt him personally. He urged Chikli to debate political opponents on substance rather than mocking their accents, especially given the approaching anniversary of the October 7th attacks. Chikli had not responded to the criticism at the time of the report.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Olympic medalist Peter Paltchik condemned Minister Amichai Chikli for mocking Avigdor Lieberman's Russian accent.
- Paltchik, a Soviet-born immigrant, called Chikli's imitation shameful and personally hurtful.
- The athlete demanded an apology from Chikli for turning an immigrant accent into a joke.
- Paltchik urged Chikli to debate political opponents on substance, not accents.
- The criticism was made on the eve of the October 7th anniversary, with Paltchik questioning Chikli's example as a minister.
- Minister Chikli had not responded to Paltchik's criticism or apologized at the time of the report.
Olympic medalist Peter Paltchik has sharply criticized Minister Amichai Chikli for mocking the Russian accent of Yisrael Beiteinu party chairman Avigdor Lieberman during a radio interview. Chikli had parodied Lieberman's accent while quoting him, saying, "I remember him: 'I will destroy Gaza in 48 hours... I will send all the ultra-Orthodox to the dump.'"
Paltchik, who immigrated to Israel from the Soviet Union as a child, posted a video response on social media. "Chikli, you should be ashamed. The accent you imitate to humiliate a political opponent is the accent of people from the Soviet Union. An entire community that has done so much for this country, and you turn its accent into a joke," Paltchik stated.
The athlete emphasized his personal connection to the issue, having grown up in Israel and competed internationally for the country. "The accent is from the home I came from. And when you turn it into a joke, it hurts me," he said.
Paltchik clarified that his criticism was not about defending Lieberman politically, but about the nature of Chikli's attack. "Argue with Lieberman. Attack his positions. What does his accent have to do with it?!" Paltchik asked.
Addressing Chikli as a government minister, especially with the anniversary of the October 7th attacks approaching, Paltchik demanded an apology. "On the eve of October 7th, is this the example you set as a minister in Israel? You owe us an apology," he declared. As of publication, Chikli had not responded to Paltchik's criticism or apologized.
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