A confrontation erupted between Channel 14’s 'The Patriots' host Yinon Magal and journalist Amichai Atali following revelations that leading activists in the 'Shotafot Leshurot" forum are identified with the center-left, including Religious Zionist figure Noa Mevorach.
Atali attacked the panel members and spoke about the price they paid or did not pay in the war and asked about the days of reserve service they served. Magal responded and addressed the question of Mevorach's military service and also spoke about the military service of the national religious public.
“Noa Mevorach served in the army? [If not], then she shouldn’t talk. Don’t talk about the Haredim when girls from the Religious Zionist community don’t serve in the army," Magal shouted at Atali, who responded, “My daughter served-am I allowed to talk?"
Magal continued his attack on the Religious Zionist public, claiming: “There are hesder students who don’t do full service-don’t talk about the Haredim. Noa Mevorach doesn’t represent Religious Zionism, only a tiny fraction of it-and neither do you."
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett criticized Magal in a post on X. “Watch your step when you speak about the fighters of Religious Zionism. These are martyrs who combined Torah study with the defense of the state and fell while sanctifying God’s name. To compare them to draft dodgers?"
“More than 80 righteous and heroic hesder yeshiva students have fallen in this war. National service girls are also on the front lines of giving-in education, hospitals, the security system, and everywhere. Anyone who dares to sit in a studio and smear them in order to legitimize institutionalized draft evasion stopped being a patriot long ago," Bennett wrote.