Israeli Lawmaker Demands Removal of Controversial Promo on Kan 11 Over Language Remarks

A political and media controversy erupted after a promo for the Kan 11 show "4 Weddings" featured a participant expressing disdain for Russian and Amharic languages. MK Yevgeny Sova from Yisrael Beiteinu sent an urgent letter to Golan Yokpaz, CEO of the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, demanding the immediate removal of the clip. In the promo, a bride nicknamed "the angry bride" says, "I can't stand hearing Russian, it seeps into my brain, I can't. Also Amharic." Sova emphasized that despite his strong support for the broadcaster's independence and budget during the 25th Knesset, this crossed a red line. He stated, "The broadcasting corporation is indeed a success story, and precisely because of that, there is no place for such statements. I believe the management will understand there are boundaries that must not be crossed and that public sensitivities should not be harmed for ratings or social media likes." The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation rejected accusations of racism, clarifying the broadcast context. They said, "The corporation opposes any racist remarks or implications and runs numerous programs against racism in Israeli society. '4 Weddings' is based on a humorous format where four different brides attend each other's weddings. The segment in question is part of a longer clip where the bride laughs and also criticizes herself. In the full segment, the host clearly criticizes the way she expresses herself."