Israeli Commentator's 'Monkey' Remark About Ex-IDF Chief Sparks Outrage
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS Arabic by baba
Channel 14 commentator Yanon Magil caused a political uproar by calling former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot a "monkey," linking the insult to his Moroccan-Mizrahi heritage. Eisenkot criticized the "low-level" remarks, while his party condemned them as racist. Opposition leader Yair Lapid and other politicians joined the criticism, accusing Magil of hate speech and urging Prime Minister Netanyahu to speak out.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Channel 14 commentator Yanon Magil called former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot a "monkey."
- Magil linked the insult to Eisenkot's Moroccan-Mizrahi heritage, sparking widespread condemnation.
- Eisenkot responded sharply, calling the remarks "low-level" and vowing to fight "Magil-ism."
- Eisenkot's 'Yash' party accused Magil of racism and disrespecting a large segment of Israeli society.
- Opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized Magil's comments and Netanyahu's silence.
- Other politicians, including Rafi Ben-Shitrit and Ofra Reiten, also denounced Magil's remarks.
Channel 14 commentator Yanon Magil ignited a political firestorm on Saturday evening by referring to Gadi Eisenkot, head of the 'Yash' party and former IDF Chief of Staff, as a "monkey." Magil linked the insult to Eisenkot's Moroccan-Mizrahi heritage, stating, "He is a monkey, he is a monkey. Behind him, all the Ashkenazi elites run him. He is a monkey, his name is Moroccan-Mizrahi, they put a Moroccan prime minister for you. As if we don't see reality."
Eisenkot responded sharply, calling the remarks "low-level" and suggesting the real problem was "the person behind him." He vowed to work for change in Israel and end what he termed the "Magil-ism" and "Bardugo-ism," referencing Magil and commentator Yaakov Bardugo.
The 'Yash' party condemned Magil's comments as racist, drawing parallels to a controversial incident involving the late Israeli artist Dudu Topaz 45 years ago. The party asserted that calling Eisenkot, a 45-year military veteran, a "monkey" and connecting it to his Moroccan roots reflects a racist view and disrespects a large segment of Israeli society. The party's statement added that "fear of loss reveals the ugly truth" about how some view many Israelis and affirmed the party's goal of political change.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid joined the widespread condemnation, highlighting Magil's explicit link between the "monkey" insult and Eisenkot's Moroccan-Mizrahi background. Lapid also recalled previous controversial statements attributed to Magil concerning the Be'er Sheva family and other bereaved families, accusing him of insulting those who lost loved ones. Lapid criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud members for their silence and declared his support for Eisenkot.
Other politicians also denounced the remarks. Rafi Ben-Shitrit of the 'Yisrael Beiteinu' party called Magil's comments racist, while Ofra Reiten, head of the Democrats bloc, accused the commentator of promoting incitement and hate speech.
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