The government on Tuesday appropriated 45 million shekels ($14 million) toward a plan to clean up the country's shoreline after a massive tar spill last week caused the worst natural disaster Israel has seen in years.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the event was "a huge ecological disaster, with a thousand tons of oil and tar piling up on our shores.
"We must act quickly before it seeps into the ground, especially in the rocky areas where it will damage and stay with us for many years. This is why we are acting quickly and the plan as been approved. The budget assistance will help save our beaches. We will protect our beaches and we will protect our environment."
Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel tweeted, "We will do everything to repair the ecological damage so that we can go back to enjoying Israel's beautiful beaches."
A joint notice issued by the Health, Interior and Environmental Protection ministries called on the public not to visit beaches, swim, or exercise on the beaches affected by the spill until further notice, warning that "exposure to tar could harm public health."
