Journalist Amichai Atali has firmly stated he has no intention of leaving the panel on Channel 14's "HaPatriiotim" program, days after a heated confrontation that sparked outrage on social media. In a radio interview this Sunday morning on 103FM with co-host Gideon Oko, Atali reaffirmed his commitment to the channel while launching a sharp critique against conspiracy theories proliferating in right-wing circles, particularly those surrounding the Shin Bet's role in the October 7 security failure.
"Will I return to broadcast and participate in the panel? Sure, absolutely," Atali declared. "Channel 14 is a home for me and my audience, but when it goes to hallucinatory places—you need to stop." The clash, which pitted Atali against host Yinon Magal and panelist Fleishman, centered on discussions about the responsibility of the Shin Bet and security forces for the October 7 debacle, escalating into personal attacks and drawing widespread reactions online.
Reflecting on the incident, Atali shared, "It wasn't a fun experience for me. 48 stormy hours passed over me, mainly because of a flood of references. It went to personal tracks, but I straightened my back." He emphasized the channel's significance for Israel's right-wing and religious Zionist communities, noting, "For people in the right, in religious Zionism, this is a channel we've waited for for years. Someone to voice a national, right-wing, traditional voice."
Despite his loyalty, Atali unleashed a fierce monologue against those promoting conspiracy theories that accuse the Shin Bet of deliberate betrayal. "When using this platform for conspiracies, making a separation between Shin Bet fighters 'they care for' who get the intelligence and the Golani guys who were abandoned in their beds—it's clear what sentiment this speaks to," he said, condemning the divisive rhetoric.
"This is disgusting. It erodes us in Israeli society. What mother would want her son to enlist in Golani when she hears he's second class?" Atali asked, highlighting the dangerous implications for military morale and recruitment.
Atali also addressed the persistence of fake news even after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself dismissed such theories. "Sometimes you release the demons and the hunting dogs, and they're more enthusiastic than the one who released them. It's hard to gather them back," he explained. "The reality is not that the Shin Bet wanted soldiers to die. It's a huge, criminal failure, but not malicious."
The interview underscores ongoing tensions within Israel's right-wing media landscape, where Channel 14—long anticipated as a bastion for nationalistic voices—now grapples with the boundaries between legitimate critique and unfounded conspiracies following the October 7 events.
