Journalist Ben Caspit Criticizes Likud for Reserving Spot for Tech Entrepreneur Oren Dovronski

The Likud party's announcement of reserving a Knesset list spot for businessman and tech entrepreneur Oren Dovronski has sparked heated reactions in political and media circles. Veteran journalist and presenter Ben Caspit sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's move, highlighting the contrast with previous attempts to recruit high-profile figures like Gabi Ashkenazi, Yuval Steinitz, and Ron Dermer, all of whom declined. Caspit mockingly reviewed Dovronski's background, noting that he founded a successful tech company, relocated it to Manhattan, left Israel, married a convert in a Chinese restaurant, amassed considerable wealth, and gained local fame primarily through the Channel 12 TV show "The Sharks."

Caspit concluded with a pointed question about Likud's stance toward Channel 12, sarcastically asking why the party, which previously boycotted the channel, now appears to treat it as a "bank" for reserving candidates. He referenced the party's past criticism of Channel 12 as akin to "Al Jazeera" and expressed surprise at the apparent shift in attitude. This critique underscores ongoing tensions between the ruling party and media outlets amid political maneuvering ahead of elections.