Full coverage· Politics· Updated 13:54

Likud Tribunal Member Demands Apology From Channel 14 Presenter

Channel 14 presenter Yinon Magal sparked widespread outrage after calling former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot a "Moroccan oriental monkey" controlled by Ashkenazi elites. The remarks, made during a discussion on the program "HaPatriotim," drew sharp criticism from across the political spectrum, including from within the Likud party.

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What happened

01Channel 14 presenter Yinon Magal sparked outrage by calling former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot a "Moroccan oriental monkey" controlled by Ashkenazi elites.
02Likud tribunal member David Elbaz demanded an immediate apology from Magal, warning his remarks could cause the Likud to lose the election.
03Gadi Eisenkot accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being behind the remarks, calling it a culture of lies, division, and fear.
04Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned Magal's remarks as very inappropriate but also called for the condemnation of insults directed at Likud voters.
05Former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen condemned Magal's statement as racist and outrageous, suggesting it implied Mizrahi individuals are puppets.
06The Yashar! party, led by Eisenkot, responded to the incident by releasing a video of members proudly calling themselves proud monkeys.

David Elbaz, a Moroccan-Israeli member of the Likud party's tribunal, demanded an immediate apology from Magal, warning that such statements could cause the Likud to lose votes in the upcoming elections. Elbaz issued a personal apology to Eisenkot on behalf of the Likud. Former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen, who is second on the list for Eisenkot's Yashar! party, also condemned the remarks as racist and outrageous.

Eisenkot addressed the controversy at the Otef Conference, stating that while he expected nothing from Magal, the voice was Yinon's but the hands were Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's, accusing the premier of fostering a culture of lies, division, and fear. Netanyahu eventually condemned Magal's remarks as very inappropriate, but also criticized those who have insulted Likud members and voters.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated 14:52

Latest report: Arutz Sheva. Read Arutz Sheva’s original