Netanyahu’s staff scrambles after he speaks of ‘war against Iran’
Tehran’s FM, major media outlets report on apparent belligerent statement posted to social media; officials then update translation to say PM merely seeks to ‘combat Iran’
Raphael Ahren is a former diplomatic correspondent at The Times of Israel.
WARSAW, Poland — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised eyebrows on Wednesday when he spoke of a joint interest in “war” in the context of the struggle against Iran.
In a Hebrew-language video message recorded before he headed to the opening of a Middle East conference in Warsaw, the prime minister hailed the fact that an Israeli leader was about to sit down with senior officials from “leading Arab countries” in order to “advance the common interest of war against Iran.”
An official translation of the statement, provided by the Government Press Office, translated Hebrew phrase milhama b’Iran literally “war with Iran,” when it was not clear that Netanyahu had meant literal military action.
The prime minister’s social media accounts published the statement, leading numerous people, including Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, to point out its ostensible belligerency.
We've always known Netanyahu's illusions. Now, the world – and those attending #WarsawCircus – know, too pic.twitter.com/0TSDzIak9e
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) February 13, 2019
Numerous other users of social media, among them senior journalists, also wondered whether Netanyahu had just publicly called for open war with Iran.
The Latest: Israel's prime minister says he plans on working with Arab countries at a U.S.-backed Mideast conference in Warsaw to focus on the "common interest of war with Iran." https://t.co/JUqt1BtS2g
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 13, 2019
Come again? Netanyahu: "representatives of leading Arab countries, that are sitting down together with Israel in order to advance the common interest of war with Iran." https://t.co/Cssw2SA6nA
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) February 13, 2019
…and the PM's official twitter account is going with "war."
Very hard to walk this one back now. https://t.co/9blNCaf7dR pic.twitter.com/dxaqiWf0yH
— Esfandyar Batmanghelidj (@yarbatman) February 13, 2019
State Department, after complaints from other attendees: This conference isn't meant to focus purely on Iran.
Netanyahu, per his official spokesman: "sitting down together… to advance the common interest of war with Iran." pic.twitter.com/bWlKUPxr8x— Gregg Carlstrom (@glcarlstrom) February 13, 2019
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to a request for comment by the time this article was posted.
About one hour after the post went live, as Netanyahu was already sitting at a reception at Warsaw’s historic Royal Castle, his staff deleted the first tweet and replaced it with a softened version, reading: “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.”
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
Minutes later the GPO also reissued its translation of the statement with the gentler wording.
