Radio host tells Yanon Magal "go see a doctor" over hostage remarks

Radio presenter Penina Bat Tzvi sharply attacked Yinon Magal on Thursday, following his call for hostage families and Ofri Bibas, whose brother Yarden Bibas's wife and two children were murdered in captivity, to ask forgiveness from Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Speaking on 103FM, Bat Tzvi said: "I want to address Yinon Magal. What, didn't you take the right pill? You've lost your balance, totally gone off the rails, lost your judgment. We're a radio station that protects free speech, nobody tells you what to say, but like this? To speak to hostage families? All to please Bibi? I'm telling you, leave your job, and if you need to, go see a doctor."

Channel 14 host Yanon Magal addressed the controversy surrounding him last night on 103FM, after he called on hostage families who came out against Netanyahu to apologize to the prime minister.

In his remarks, Magal said: "The whole incident is political. Because I'm very influential, they have to do to me like the blood libel you did to Netanyahu, you disconnected it from the story, you (Ben Caspit) did a despicable act. In a disgraceful way you lit this bonfire when you know it's a lie."

He added: "I excluded the hostage families, I don't think one should speak that way about hostage families, I should have clarified things earlier, I should have done it from the start and that was a mistake, and I completely accept that. I had no intention whatsoever to harm the families."

Magal's original remarks that sparked the storm came when he addressed hostage families and said: "All the names I'm now reading to you participated in the book 'Mr. Abandonment.' I'm telling you these are despicable people, despicable, and the only thing that can forgive them is if they slip the note 'forgive' to Netanyahu in the ballot box in the elections. Forgive, forgive us, forgive us, atone for us, pardon us."

"That's their only option to atone for the abomination they committed when they participated in the book 'Mr. Abandonment.' And everyone who participated, slip in the 'forgive' note, forgive us on election day."

At the end of reading the names, Magal said: "All the names I read will be remembered forever on the pillar of shame, these are the most vile people living in the State of Israel, who made a blood libel against Benjamin Netanyahu, who is 'Mr. Abandonment.'"