Racism controversy erupts in Israeli election campaign after broadcaster calls Eisenkot a ‘monkey’

A racism controversy has emerged ahead of Israel’s 27th October parliamentary elections after a television broadcaster supportive of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to his political rival, Gadi Eisenkot, as a “monkey,” reigniting debate over ethnic discrimination against Mizrahi Jews.

Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief of staff of Moroccan descent who leads the Yashar party, has emerged as a leading contender in election polls, raising the possibility that he could become Israel’s first prime minister of Mizrahi origin.

During a program broadcast on the pro-Netanyahu Channel 14, presenter Yinon Magal described Eisenkot as a “monkey” and suggested that he was being controlled by members of the Ashkenazi political establishment.

Magal claimed that Eisenkot’s campaign manager, Ronen Manelis, was directing his political activities and determining what he said publicly.

The remarks prompted renewed scrutiny of ethnic divisions between Ashkenazi Jews, whose ancestry is primarily European, and Mizrahi Jews, whose families originate from the Middle East and North Africa.

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According to The Times of Israel, Magal had previously mocked Eisenkot’s Moroccan heritage in August, making disparaging remarks about his mother’s head covering and Moroccan accent.

The comments have drawn attention to longstanding stereotypes portraying Mizrahi political figures as dependent on Ashkenazi elites rather than independent political leaders.

Netanyahu condemned Magal’s latest remarks, describing them as “inappropriate.”

However, the prime minister linked his condemnation to a demand that Eisenkot also denounce remarks he said had insulted Likud voters, citing comments attributed to businesswoman Galia Albin.

The controversy comes amid an increasingly contentious election campaign, with ethnic identity and political representation emerging as points of tension between Netanyahu’s supporters and his rivals.

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