An interview with Jewish Home Candidate Yinon Magal on journalist Reno Tzror’s popular Army Radio morning show “Ma Bo’er” quickly turned sour Thursday. 

The interview, intended to discuss former soccer player Eli Ohana’s almost immediate resignation from Jewish Home Thursday morning, soon devolved into a series of shouts and accusations of incitement and libel. 

Magal – who is secular and was personally appointed by Jewish Home Chairman Naftali Bennett, like Ohana – accused the media of fanning the flames of Ohana’s controversial appointment. 

He then accused Tzror of giving preferential treatment to Labor Chairman Yitzhak Herzog on a previous program, when “you [Tzror] told Herzog ‘I could talk like this for hours’ and Herzog replied that it was a pleasure.” 

“You’re an advisor for Labor,” Magal burst out. 

“I’m an advisor to Labor? Aren’t you ashamed of what you’re saying?” Tzror responded angrily. “I understand you want to move this discussion to me. Why are you exploding as if the media is in conflict with you and Jewish Home?”

Magal, an editor of Walla! News and the former anchorman of Channel One News, scolded Tzror back: “When you talk to people on the Right try not to raise your voice.”

“I will not ask you how to speak. You’re playing a deliberate media game,” Tzror defended himself. 

Magal, however, did not give up and fired back: “I’m just telling the truth, Reno, and maybe it’s not convenient for you.” 

Tzror quickly claimed that Magal was committing libel against him by presenting him as being biased against the Right. “You’re not yet a Knesset member. I will definitely sue you.” 

Magal refused to withdraw the accusation and told Tzror that “in your role as journalist, you’ve been running a campaign against the Right – and not just you.” 

Tzror then criticized the Jewish Home’s controversial campaign against Labor party candidate Yossi Yonah, which compares Yonah – who is one of the more extreme leftist candidates standing for election on Labor’s slate – to Hamas.

Tzror called the campaign “propaganda that is all incitement. I don’t agree with what Yonah said, but your presentation of his remarks are propaganda par excellence.” 

Magal replied: “And what you’re doing to me is not incitement? I’m a politician and you’re a politician. You’re impudent; shame on you – you’re taking advantage of Army Radio with propaganda week after week.” 

Tzror told Magal to leave the broadcast, and made clear to listeners, “I don’t think I’m taking advantage of anything but doing my work faithfully.”