Ofakim Mayor Demands Live TV Apology from Channel 12 Host
Translated & summarized from Kipa by baba
Ofakim Mayor Itzik Danino has demanded a live, on-air apology from Channel 12 host Dani Kushmaro for comments linking election results in a neighborhood hit by the October 7th massacre to the event. Kushmaro questioned why residents voted for the bloc in power during the attack. In a separate incident, MK Moshe Feiglin rejected an apology from reporter Adi Zarif for omitting his grandson's death from a list of MKs who lost family in the war.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Ofakim Mayor Itzik Danino demanded a live TV apology from Channel 12's Dani Kushmaro.
- Kushmaro questioned election results in a neighborhood that suffered October 7th casualties.
- Danino called Kushmaro's remarks an unacceptable criticism of democratic choice.
- MK Moshe Feiglin also rejected an apology from Channel 12 for an on-air omission.
- Feiglin demanded a formal on-screen apology for his grandson's death being excluded.
The Mayor of Ofakim, Itzik Danino, has demanded a public, live apology from Channel 12 host Dani Kushmaro for remarks made on the program 'Ulpan Shishi.' Danino sent a letter to Keshet CEO Avi Nir, requesting that Kushmaro apologize on air during the next broadcast he hosts. The demand stems from Kushmaro's monologue discussing election results in the Mishor HaGafen neighborhood of Ofakim. This neighborhood lost 33 residents in the October 7th massacre, yet approximately 65% of its votes in the recent election went to the Netanyahu bloc. Kushmaro expressed surprise that residents voted for the political bloc under whose tenure the disaster occurred.
Mayor Danino stated that Kushmaro's comments constituted an "unacceptable criticism of the democratic choice of the residents of Mishor HaGafen neighborhood, linking it to the October 7th disaster." He emphasized that the 33 victims were "a whole world, not a statistic that can be used to judge the political choices of their neighbors." Danino asserted that Ofakim residents demonstrated exceptional courage during the terror attack and that no one has the right to be condescending about their voting choices. He also identified Ofakim as a "proud right-wing city" and stated it would not apologize for its political leanings, adding that freedom of the press does not absolve responsibility.
Separately, a controversy arose regarding a report by Adi Zarif on Knesset members who lost family in the war. A graphic listing seven MKs omitted Moshe Feiglin, whose grandson fell in Gaza. Zarif issued a statement attributing the omission to an unintentional error and apologized. Feiglin rejected the online apology, demanding Channel 12 re-air the segment with a formal on-screen apology. He stated in an interview with Channel 14 that he does not need their validation for the nation's shared grief.
Mentioned
