Yinon Magal Explains 'Monkey' Remark About Gadi Eisenkot

Commentator Yinon Magal has responded to the controversy surrounding his use of the word "monkey" to describe former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot. Magal clarified that his remark was not related to Eisenkot's appearance, but rather a term from the underworld referring to someone placed at the forefront to be manipulated by others operating from behind the scenes.

Magal stated that the ensuing controversy is an artificial storm being manufactured ahead of elections. He explained that his comment was made during a discussion where commentator Avishai Ben Haim argued that an alliance exists between the elite and Arabs, aimed at marginalizing Mizrahi Jews. In response to this claim, Eisenkot was presented as an example of a Moroccan representative, prompting Magal's remark.

"So I told him, is he a Moroccan Mizrahi? He's a monkey who was put in front and is operated from behind, with the entire Ashkenazi elite standing behind him, that's the event," Magal recounted. He asserted that his statement was taken out of context and escalated into a separate controversy, with politicians like Yair Lapid reacting to the distorted narrative.

Magal also linked the current controversy to a previous one, where he claimed a campaign focused on him attacking bereaved families, despite his assertion that only about ten percent of names he read were from such families. He suggested these controversies are fueled by the success of his program, which he claims is significantly impacting the ratings of Channel 12.

"Why? Because we are strong and God willing we will win," Magal declared, adding that Channel 12 is in a frenzy because his program is crushing their ratings. He cited recent rating figures to support his claim of growth and dominance, urging his audience not to be concerned by the controversies.