The controversy began when Yinon Magal, a prominent media figure and supporter of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, used the term 'monkey' to describe Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF chief of staff and recent member of the war cabinet. The remark has drawn sharp condemnation from political figures and observers who view the language as a racial slur targeting Eisenkot’s Sephardic background.

Critics of the comment have drawn parallels to the infamous 1981 'chah’chahim' speech, a historical moment in Israeli politics where a performer used derogatory slang to insult Likud voters, deepening ethnic divisions within the country. The Yashar party, among others, has condemned the rhetoric as an attempt to dehumanize political opponents through identity-based attacks.

In his defense, Magal has rejected accusations of racism. He asserts that his use of the term was intended to characterize Eisenkot as a 'puppet'—someone being manipulated by external forces—rather than as a commentary on his ethnicity. Magal maintains that the backlash is a deliberate misinterpretation of his words intended to smear him. The incident highlights ongoing tensions in Israeli media discourse, where political disagreements are increasingly framed through the lens of historical ethnic grievances and personal character attacks.