WARSAW, Poland—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday, in what could be a possible gaffe, that his meetings with Arab leaders in Poland are "in order to advance the common interest of combating Iran."
The comments were made to reporters on the sidelines of the Warsaw Middle East ministerial following Netanyahu's meeting with the Sultanate of Oman's Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, Yusuf bin Alawi.
"Here I am going to a meeting with 60 foreign ministers and envoys of countries from around the world against Iran," Netanyahu said. "What is important about this meeting—and this meeting is not in secret, because there are many of those—is that this is an open meeting with representatives of leading Arab countries, that are sitting down together with Israel in order to advance the common interest of combating Iran."
"What we are doing is pushing and driving Iran from Syria," Netanyahu added. "We are committed to doing this."
Netanyahu later tweeted out his remarks.
What is important about this meeting – and it is not in secret, because there are many of those – is that this is an open meeting with representatives of leading Arab countries, that are sitting down together with Israel in order to advance the common interest of combating Iran.
— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) February 13, 2019
Update 2:36 p.m.: Following publication of this article the prime minister released a new translation of his comments. Initial translation of the comments stated that the meetings with Arab leaders were in pursuit of "war with Iran."