Hanegbi apologizes, says he did not distinguish between Gaza Belt Communities and Tel Aviv

Jerusalem, 15 November, 2018 (TPS) -- Following major backlash after an interview with Army Radio,  Israeli Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi apologized “if his words on Thursday morning about recent Hamas attacks were misunderstood.”

During the interview, Hanegbi said that Hamas’ response was measured, adding that “there is a difference between the Gaza Belt Region and Tel Aviv, which is the economic capital of Israel…the Hamas attack was minor because shooting on Tel Aviv has different implications.”

In a statement on Facebook, Hanegbi said that “I have never made a distinction between the lives of the residents of the neighborhood and the lives of the residents of Tel Aviv. If so, I am sorry about this.

“The Israeli government has been working to protect the residents of the area with all its strength,” he wrote. “For many months, IDF soldiers have been dealing with constant attacks on the fence, and billions are being invested in building an underground barrier that will prevent terrorist tunnels from entering the settlements.”

Hanegbi added said Thursday’s remarks were meant to mean that a broad campaign in Gaza would inevitably lead to many victims among our fighters, massive fire on Tel Aviv, severe economic damage, damage to air traffic to Israel and implications for the economy and tourism.

“At the end of the campaign, we would find ourselves at exactly the same point as we are today, so we preferred to reach a calm as long as possible, without escalation, for the residents of the south and the entire country,” he said. “These words do not express any different attitude towards the residents of the south, courageous and dedicated people whose government is obligated to ensure their security as it is committed to all Israeli citizens.”