Ex-Channel 13 Reporter Defends Yinon Magal's 'Monkey' Remark
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
Journalist Yosef Israel defended Channel 14 presenter Yinon Magal's controversial use of the term "monkey" to describe Gadi Eisenkot. Israel stated Magal meant "monkey" as a manipulated figure, not an animal comparison. Magal himself explained the term was underworld slang for a front person controlled by others, used in a political context about elite power dynamics. The controversy has sparked significant public reaction and debate.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Yosef Israel defended Yinon Magal's use of the term "monkey" for Gadi Eisenkot.
- Israel stated Magal meant "monkey" as a manipulated "straw man," not an animal.
- Magal explained the term was underworld slang for a front person controlled by others.
- Magal's remarks were made during a political discussion about elite power dynamics.
- The controversy has generated significant public reaction and debate.
A controversy surrounding remarks made by Channel 14 presenter Yinon Magal about Gadi Eisenkot continues to draw reactions. Yosef Israel, Foreign News Editor at Channel 16 and a former foreign news reporter for Channel 13, joined the discussion, defending the intent behind Magal's words despite personal discomfort. "I swear it costs me my life to defend Yinon Magal, but it's clear he didn't mean 'monkey' as in the animal, but as a straw man manipulated by others. No need for baseless accusations," Israel wrote.
Israel's comments followed a public outcry after Magal referred to Eisenkot as a "monkey." Magal himself later explained that he did not intend to compare Eisenkot to an animal but rather to describe someone placed at the forefront and controlled by others behind the scenes. He stated, "I called Eisenkot a monkey, not because he is ugly and looks like a monkey, but as an expression, like one from the underworld, where someone is put in front and manipulated." Magal added that his remarks were made during a political discussion about power dynamics between the Ashkenazi elite and the Mizrahi public, and that the term was meant to describe Eisenkot's perceived role in relation to that elite.
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