Binyamin Netanyahu
Binyamin NetanyahuHadas Parush/Flash 90

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu personally apologized Monday to the chairman of the Israel Airports Authority workers committee for a controversial election clip published last week. 

"There was a meeting, and the Prime Minister took the responsibility upon himself and announced that the video had been removed," Pinhas Idan told Walla! News.

Last Thursday, Netanyahu's Likud party released a campaign video which attempted to humorously show the party's achievements by portraying different groups of "people disappointed" by Netanyahu. 

However, many found the video, which presents government workers alongside a Hamas terrorist, as comparing such workers to Hamas terrorists themselves.

Idan said he told the Prime Minister that "comparing us, the workers and the workers union, to Hamas was humiliating." 

"We have a thousand employees working in the defense division, from elite units to combat. The salt of the earth. Did someone ask how many of them fought in the war against Hamas? Why do they need to walk around now with the feeling that the Prime Minister compares them to the terrorists of Hamas? The workers are hurt and are walking around with their heads down. 

According to Idan, "the Prime Minister understood this was a grave mistake. He said it was a mistake to prepare and present the video and promised to remove the video immediately." 

"I told him that the workers were deeply hurt by this comparison and he understood us," Idan added. 

The anger Likud received from various workers groups over the clip prompted the party to shelve it permanently. Several MKs were also up in arms over the video.  

The party released an apology, stating: "This video was meant to review some of the achievements of the government, and done so with the humor in honor of Purim. There was no intention to compare anyone to Hamas or to harm many dedicated employees. The video will not be broadcast anymore and we apologize if anyone was hurt."