Yaniv Meged and Guy Maroz Clash Over Who Qualifies as Left in Israel on 'The Patriots'

A heated debate unfolded on the Israeli TV show "The Patriots" regarding the definition of the political left in Israel and whether former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot belongs to that camp. Guy Maroz dismissed the idea of Eizenkot being left-wing as a "joke," while Yaniv Meged argued that Eizenkot's support for a Palestinian state and opposition to judicial reforms firmly place him on the left side of the political spectrum.

The argument intensified when Maroz challenged Meged by pointing out that Benjamin Netanyahu had also supported a Palestinian state in the past. Meged countered by saying Netanyahu only made policy adjustments and that the declared positions of prominent figures in the so-called "state camp" are sufficient grounds to label them as leftists.

The discussion escalated further with the topic of the Ra'am party's coalition partnership. Yotam Zamir sarcastically questioned whether Merav Segalovitz would support IDF conscription as part of Mansour Abbas's coalition. Meged concluded the debate with a sharp remark about the conscription plan in the Arab sector, describing it as "an Arab conscription, managed by Arabs and for Arabs only, everything will remain within the sector."