Sports Commentator Slams TV Host's Racist Remarks About Candidate
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
During a TV broadcast, host Yinon Mgal made racist remarks about a candidate, calling him a "monkey" controlled by "elitist Ashkenazim." Sports commentators Uri Ozen and Gili Vermut condemned Mgal's statements as racist and condescending. The candidate responded, dismissing Mgal's comments and vowing to bring change. The "Yesher!" party also condemned Mgal, comparing his remarks to past offensive statements.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- TV host Yinon Mgal called a candidate a "monkey" controlled by "elitist Ashkenazim" on air.
- Sports commentator Uri Ozen denounced Mgal's remarks as "terrible, disrespectful, condescending, and racist."
- The candidate responded to Mgal's comments, calling them "low-level" and promising national change.
- Gili Vermut, another commentator, labeled Mgal and his associates as "the biggest racists."
- The "Yesher!" party condemned Mgal's statements, comparing them to past racist remarks in Israeli politics.
During a broadcast on Channel 14's "HaPatriotim" program on Saturday, host Yinon Mgal made highly controversial remarks about a candidate, calling him a "monkey" and alleging he was being controlled by "elitist Ashkenazim." Mgal further stated, "He's a monkey, his name is Mizrahi Moroccan, his name is [to make you] a Moroccan prime minister. As if we don't see reality." The comments quickly drew widespread criticism online.
Sports commentator and "HaPodium" podcast panelist Uri Ozen responded on his X account, calling Mgal's statements "terrible and awful. Crazy disrespect, condescension, racism." Ozen shared that his 10-year-old daughter told him, "What does it matter where his parents were born, the main thing is that he is a good person." He added that his daughter possessed "a thousand times more sense and understanding than that entire panel combined." Ozen expressed his hope for the candidate to win the upcoming Knesset elections, stating, "Amen, may [the candidate] win and bring the 'sweet tidings' to us all."
Mgal later clarified his remarks, asserting that his use of the word "monkey" was not related to the candidate's appearance but rather described someone placed at the forefront while others operated from behind. He dismissed the ensuing criticism as an "artificial storm" manufactured ahead of the elections.
Another sports commentator, Gili Vermut, also working at Radio 103FM where Mgal is employed, criticized Mgal and "the doctor with the ponytail," calling them "the biggest racists to the people they supposedly represent." He added, "It's good that they continue to expose themselves."
The candidate himself responded shortly after the broadcast, condemning Mgal and his political circle. He stated, "Yinon Mgal said I am a monkey operated by Ashkenazim, so I have nothing to answer to that low-level person. The problem is not Yinon Mgal but the person standing behind him. We will bring change to the country, and we will remove the phenomenon of 'Mgalism' and 'Bardugism' from our lives to bring a better country."
The "Yesher!" party issued a strong condemnation, comparing Mgal's remarks to past offensive statements. They noted that "45 years after Dudu Topaz called Mizrahim 'chachachim', a senior mouthpiece who makes a living spreading lies calls a candidate for prime minister, a chief of staff who served the country for 45 years, a monkey, and this only because he is Mizrahi. The fear of losing reveals your ugly truth and your contempt for an entire public."
