TV host Galit Gutman on Thursday morning spoke on Keshet 12 about her comments last week.
"Following what I said, and I apologized immediately, it was important for me to sit here, in the chair the words were said in," Gutman said. "So first of all I apologize from the depths of my heart for my manner of speech, for the words which I used. They sort of made a spin of it, because we sat and talked about the budget and the property tax fund, and I spoke from the depths of my heart about the future of the State and what our children will have. I spoke about the politicians and not about an entire sector," she explained.
Gutman emphasized, "I would never even think to blame an entire sector."
"What is saddest to me is that within this whole bonfire, which anyway the country is fueling, and there is a country within a country, and protests in the air, that I was the one who had the match in her hand, and so I managed to light it and this whole story again, and I am sorry that people were hurt by me. It really did not come from a place like this, it came from a very great love for the country, and about the style - there is still what to work on, as they say."
Last Friday, Gutman said on air, "How much of a burden can you put on a third of this country, in order to support in the end all of these haredim, who suck our blood? They have lost their shame."
"I will continue to say these harsh things. They have lost their shame, I will sit here and I will tell the truth, this is the reality, there is a country and a new government which is milking its citizens."
The Second Authority for Television and Radio began a violations process against Keshet for Gutman's statements. During the examination held earlier this week, Gutman said that she would apologize during the next airing of her program.
Keshet said, "It was explained to Galit that statements such as these are not acceptable in any way or form during broadcasting."
"Gutman, who has already apologized for her words, insisted on apologizing again on air, and clarifying her statements to the program's viewers. It was agreed that she would do this at the start of the program's next airing."