Resigning foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman apologized Sunday for the terminology he used in reference to the three opposition party leaders – Tzipi Livni, Shelly Yechimovich and Zehava Galon.
On Thursday, Lieberman referred to the calls for his resignation by Livni, Yechimovich and Galon:
"I have seen the attacks by the three veibers who went after me,
Tzipi Livni, Shelly Yechimovich, Zehava Galon – the Polish group," he
said, using a Yiddish term for women. "The three veibers attack
me with gusto," he went on. "They were not attacking me; they were
fighting each other through me. In the end, one cannot ignore these
things."
After receiving criticism for the comment over the weekend, Lieberman issued an apology on his Facebook page:
"As one who greatly appreciates the Polish community in Israel and
its contribution to the state over the years, and as one whose faction
in the last elections was made up of one third women, who also have
senior positions, I did not think that such a small joke would make such
a big noise," he said.
He offered his "sincere apology" to anyone who was offended but added
– "and now I will sit in the dark a little, and think about it again."