TV Host's 'Monkey' Remark About Israeli Politician Sparks Election Row
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS French by baba
Israeli election campaign tensions flared when Channel 14 presenter Yinon Magal called politician Gadi Eisenkot a "monkey" and implied he was manipulated by elites, referencing Eisenkot's Moroccan heritage. The Yashar party condemned the remarks as racist, while Eisenkot criticized the low level of discourse and implicitly Netanyahu. The controversy comes ten days before elections, with opposition leader Yaïr Lapid also denouncing the comments. Magal later claimed he used criminal slang and accused critics of distortion.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Channel 14 presenter Yinon Magal called politician Gadi Eisenkot a "monkey" referencing his Moroccan heritage.
- The Yashar party condemned Magal's remarks as racist, comparing them to past slurs against Mizrahi Jews.
- Gadi Eisenkot responded to the insult, indirectly criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- The controversy erupted ten days before Israel's October 27 legislative elections.
- Opposition leader Yaïr Lapid denounced the comments and criticized the Likud's silence.
- Magal later claimed he used criminal slang and accused critics of distorting his words.
A controversy erupted in Israel's election campaign when Yinon Magal, a presenter on Channel 14, referred to former IDF Chief of Staff and Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot as a "monkey," alluding to his Moroccan heritage. Magal made the remarks during his show "The Patriots," stating, "He is a monkey, he is a monkey. Behind him, all the elitist Ashkenazim are directing him." He implied that Eisenkot, who has "Oriental and Moroccan origins," was being manipulated by Ashkenazi elites. The Yashar party condemned the comments as racist, drawing a parallel to a 1981 incident where comedian Dudu Topaz used a derogatory term for Mizrahi Jews. Eisenkot responded forcefully, stating, "Yinon Magal said I was a monkey manipulated by Ashkenazim. I have nothing to answer at such a low level. The problem is not Yinon Magal, but the man standing behind him," implicitly criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Eisenkot vowed to end political culture based on personal attacks and societal divisions. The incident occurred just ten days before the October 27 legislative elections, a campaign where Netanyahu faces Eisenkot's Yashar party as a key challenger. Opposition leader Yaïr Lapid also denounced Magal's remarks as racist and criticized Netanyahu and Likud officials for their silence. In response, Magal released a video clarifying his statement, claiming he did not intend to compare Eisenkot to an animal but used a criminal slang term for a figurehead manipulated by others. He accused his critics of distorting his words for political gain.
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