Host Yinon Magal Accused of Racism for Calling Gadi Eisenkot 'Monkey'

By דסק C14

Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba

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Hebrew · 5 newsrooms covering

Host Yinon Magal is facing accusations of racism after calling Gadi Eisenkot a 'monkey.' A resurfaced tweet from April 2021 shows Magal used the same term for former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, explaining it meant someone manipulated by others. Magal had previously defined the term in a political context, linking it to criminal underworld concepts. The controversy highlights past instances of Magal using similar language.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Yinon Magal is accused of racism for calling Gadi Eisenkot a 'monkey.'
Magal previously used the same term for former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in 2021.
Magal explained the term 'monkey' as someone manipulated by others.
The term was used in a political context, referencing criminal underworld concepts.
Bennett, who was called a 'monkey,' is not of Mizrahi descent.

Host Yinon Magal Accused of Racism for Calling Gadi Eisenkot 'Monkey' — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

A recent controversy erupted over remarks made by Yinon Magal, host of the program 'The Patriots,' who referred to Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the National Unity party, as a 'monkey.' This statement has drawn accusations of racism.

However, an old tweet from Magal, dating back to April 2021, has resurfaced, revealing he used the same term to describe former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. At the time, Magal explained the term 'monkey' in a political context, referring to someone manipulated by others. Bennett is not of Mizrahi descent, a detail highlighted in the context of the racism accusations.

In the 2021 tweet, posted during coalition formation talks, Magal wrote, 'In the criminal world, there is a concept called a 'monkey.' It's someone who takes responsibility from the police and law enforcement. Bennett is the 'monkey' of the left to bring down Netanyahu.' He also questioned whether six Knesset members from the Yamina party would blindly follow Bennett.

This earlier usage suggests Magal's application of the term 'monkey' to describe a political figure serving other interests is not new and was not specifically directed at Eisenkot due to his background. Magal had previously explained the term's meaning, drawing from criminal underworld terminology, when referring to Bennett approximately five years ago.