TV host and ex-soccer star Eyal Berkovic suspended for anti-Arab racist remarks

Channel 13 news suspends commentator and former international soccer star Eyal Berkovic for an unspecified amount of time over anti-Arab racist comments he made on air yesterday.

During a show yesterday, while reporter Suleiman Maswadeh was profiling Michigan’s new anti-Israel senator Abdul El-Sayed and pointing out he has an MD (Doctor of Medicine) from Columbia University, Berkovic interjected.

“Everyone is now given the ‘doctor’ honorific; did you check if he’s a doctor?” he said.

When Maswadeh started explaining that El-Sayed is indeed a certified doctor, Berkovic continued: “They also say about Ahmad Tibi that he’s a doctor. So what if they say? He should show the certificate. Everyone’s a doctor.”

At that point, Maswadeh pointed out that the longtime Arab Israeli lawmaker, too, is an MD and a trained gynecologist who graduated from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Berkovic then mockingly addressed his co-host, Moriah Asraf, and said: “Moriah is also a doctor. A doctor of what are you?”

Asraf herself went along with Berkovic’s jokes throughout the segment.

מופע מחליא של גזענות מבית היוצר אסרף&ברקוביץ.

מוריה אסרף ואייל ברקוביץ לא מאמינים שמוסלמי/ערבי יכול להיות דוקטור. כדי לתת תוקף למשנת עליונות הגזע שלהם, הם רומזים שגם חבר הכנסת אחמד טיבי הוא לא באמת דוקטור. אז יש לי בשורה לשני המטומטמים האלה באולפן של 13, אחמד הוא לא רק דוקטור… pic.twitter.com/2962xutwgS

— Danny Gallant דני גלנט (@RedRevDanny) November 7, 2026

In a statement, Channel 13 says: “Freedom of expression and diversity of opinion are among the foundations of a free press, but don’t legitimize racist remarks. The words said yesterday on the program ‘Moriah and Berko’ are unacceptable and don’t align with the company’s values.

“As a result, a clarification meeting has been held with Eyal Berkovic, at the end of which it was decided that he will be suspended from broadcasting with immediate effect.”