Israeli Minister Slams Political Rivals, Defends Commentator
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Minister of Communications Shlomo Karai criticized political rival Ofer Winter, accusing him of losing right-wing votes and being "on the side of Palestine." Karai also downplayed tensions with Itamar Ben-Gvir, calling his actions "media posturing." He defended commentator Yinon Magal against accusations of racism, stating Prime Minister Netanyahu misunderstood Magal's remarks. Karai urged right-wing voters to avoid complacency ahead of the elections.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Minister Shlomo Karai accused rival Ofer Winter of "losing right-wing votes to perdition" and being "on the side of Palestine."
- Karai called Itamar Ben-Gvir's actions "media posturing" amid Likud-Otzma Yehudit tensions.
- Karai defended commentator Yinon Magal, stating Prime Minister Netanyahu misunderstood his remarks.
- Karai warned right-wing voters against complacency and low turnout in their strongholds.
- Karai dismissed controversies surrounding Ofer Winter's candidate Yosef Haddad as election-year tactics.
Israel's Minister of Communications, Shlomo Karai, launched a sharp critique of political rivals Ofer Winter and Itamar Ben-Gvir, while defending commentator Yinon Magal in a recent interview. Karai stated that Winter's party is unlikely to pass the electoral threshold and is instead "losing right-wing votes to perdition," even suggesting Winter is "on the side of Palestine." While acknowledging Winter's military record, Karai asserted that his party's platform does not align with the right-wing bloc. He also dismissed controversies surrounding Winter's candidate Yosef Haddad, attributing Haddad's disavowal of past statements to election-year maneuvering.
Addressing tensions between Likud and Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party, Karai described Ben-Gvir's actions as "media posturing," while acknowledging their friendship. Karai emphasized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's commitment to maintaining the current coalition parties as the basis for a future government.
Furthermore, Karai disagreed with Prime Minister Netanyahu's call for Yinon Magal to apologize for remarks perceived as offensive to Mizrahi Jews. Karai defended Magal, stating he is a strong advocate for the right, the periphery, and Mizrahi communities. He argued that Netanyahu misunderstood Magal's comments, which Karai claimed were taken out of context and intended to criticize politician Gadi Eisenkot's political maneuvering rather than to insult any group. Karai also warned right-wing voters against complacency, citing potentially low turnout in their strongholds as a risk to election results.
Mentioned
