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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s senior aide Natan Eshel remained unapologetic on Sunday over leaked recordings of him, where he could be heard praising Likud's divisive campaign strategy, blasting "non-Ashkenazi voters" and comparing Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev to a "beast."
In the new shocking recording, revealed by Channel 12 on Saturday, Eshel - a former Netanyahu chief of staff who resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct - is heard discussing the party’s election campaign ahead of March 2 elections with an unnamed person whom he apparently was trying to recruit as a political adviser.
"I'm ashamed for the years-long behavior of the white tribe and the damage they'd done to the wonderful heritage of Mizrachi Jews," Eshel said in a statement Sunday. "They [Mizrachi Jews] are right to be angry and former Prime Minister Menachem Begin was the first to recognize their mistreatment. My sayings were taken out of context merely to hurt Likud."
"I'm a proud grandfather to Moroccan grandchildren," he added.
The Netanyahu associate, however, did not apologize for calling Regev "a beast."
In the audio, the Netanyahu aide said Regev - also from Likud - is “excellent” at “stirring up” the party's supporters, comparing her behavior to stadium at a soccer match and waving the hands in order to drum up the crowd.
In addition, Eshel also claimed that Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit’s decision to indict Netanyahu in three corruption cases actually helped the premier in his reelection campaign.
“He went up by 20 percent” Eshel said, though it was unclear which surveys he was referring to.
“This public, which I call non-Ashkenazi … What gets them worked up? Why do they hate the press? … They hate everything and we’ve succeeded in whipping up that hatred. Hatred is what unites our camp,” Eshel said.
Eshel appeared to be referring to the Likud base of voters from Mizrahi communities, often in the periphery, who have long supported the party.
The tape was leaked just two days after a leaked audio of Blue & White leader Benny Gantz's political strategist emerged, where he can be heard saying the former IDF chief is not fit for premiership. The broadcast of the tape, also on Chanel 12, was heavily criticized by Gantz as being Likud's inside job.