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Murdoch apologizes to ADL for 'Jewish owned press' tweet

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch apologized to the Anti-Defamation League in a phone call and follow-up letter for his controversial tweet blasting the “Jewish owned press” for their “anti-Israel” coverage.

"I feel very strongly about the righteousness of Israeli's cause, particularly when its citizens are under missile attack,” Murdoch wrote in his letter. “So I do get very upset when I see coverage that I feel is unfair and biased towards Israel. But I should have stuck to the substance of the issue and not bring in irrelevant and incorrect ethnic matters."

(PHOTOS: 15 explosive Rupert Murdoch tweets)

The News Corp. CEO called his tweet “awkward and inappropriate” in the letter and phone call, the press release stated.

ADL national director Abraham Foxman on Monday said the group accepted Murdoch’s apology.

“After speaking with Mr. Murdoch, it is clear that he deeply regretted posting his remark on Twitter and understands how his reference to ‘Jewish owned media’ could play into the age-old anti-Semitic conspiracy theory about ‘Jewish control’ of the news media,” Foxman said in a statement. “We appreciate his effort to apologize, and to make clear that his remarks were an attempt to defend Israel made at a time when the Jewish state is under direct assault, and were not intended to hurt or to offend.”

In 2010, Murdoch was presented with the ADL International Leadership Award.

Murdoch on Sunday offered a kind of apology for his original comment — “Why Is Jewish owned press so consistently anti- Israel in every crisis?” — writing on Twitter that “’,Jewish owned press’ have been sternly criticised, suggesting link to Jewish reporters. Don't see this, but apologise unreservedly.”