Israeli Presenter Recounts Ethnic Slurs From Left-Wing Supporters

Moria Asraf, a political commentator and presenter for Channel 13, revealed on her program "Moria and Berko" that she receives frequent derogatory insults, such as "Moroccan woman" and "Mizrahi 'farah'" (a derogatory term for a woman of Middle Eastern descent), from supporters of the Israeli left. Asraf stated that racism is prevalent across all political camps in Israel in 2026, citing recent controversial remarks by Yinon Magal as an example.

Magal, a host on Channel 14, came under fire for comments made during a debate about Gadi Eisenkot, the leader of the "Yashar" party. Magal referred to Eisenkot as a "monkey" controlled by "elitist Ashkenazim" (Jews of European descent), suggesting he was a puppet. Magal later clarified that the term "monkey" was a slang expression for someone used as a front, not a literal insult about appearance.

Eisenkot responded to Magal's remarks, stating that the issue was not Magal himself but those behind him, and vowed to bring change to Israel and eliminate "Magalism and Bardugism." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Magal's comments as "very inappropriate." Netanyahu also criticized Eisenkot for not condemning what he termed attacks on Likud members by businesswoman Galia Albin, and for using personal attacks against him.

Asraf shared her experience on air with co-host Eyal Berkovich, emphasizing that the negative comments she receives are almost always ethnically charged, which she finds particularly serious. She asserted that she does not accept the notion that one side of the political spectrum is inherently racist while the other is not.