Removal of Video of Arab Officials' Attack on Iran from Netanyahu's Official Channel

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office removed a video featuring statements from several Arab diplomats at a Warsaw conference, including Bahrain's Foreign Minister, who described the Islamic Republic of Iran as a 'toxic' element in the region. On Thursday, February 14, the YouTube channel of Benjamin Netanyahu published a video of remarks made by Sheikh Ahmad bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Saudi Minister of State Adel al-Jubeir, and Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, during a panel discussion at the Warsaw conference. These three senior diplomats from Gulf countries described Iran as a serious threat in the region. Reports indicate that Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials were among the audience at this panel. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the publication of this video by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office was apparently intended to demonstrate that these countries also share Israel's stance against Iran. However, following reactions to the video's release, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office quickly removed it from Netanyahu's official YouTube channel. In the released video, Bahrain's Foreign Minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed, stated, 'I grew up with the thought that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was the most important conflict in the region, but the most toxic issue in modern history came from the Islamic Republic of Iran... This challenge has come and we see that it knows no limits.' He further stated that one must stand against this challenge (the Islamic Republic of Iran) to be able to face other challenges as well. He noted that in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, events occurred; there were the Camp David Accords and the Madrid Conference; there were many other ways to resolve the conflict; if it weren't for this toxic side [Iran] and the weapons and presence of Islamic Republic soldiers, I believe we would be much closer to a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict today. Khalid bin Ahmed also pointed to Iran's presence in the Middle East, adding, 'This is a serious challenge that prevents us from making progress on any issue, whether in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, or anywhere else.' He also mentioned that the Manama government feels 'under threat' from Iran and is grappling with this danger 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Adel al-Jubeir, who was recently the Saudi Foreign Minister and is now a Saudi Minister of State, stated at this panel that Iran brings destruction wherever it steps. According to al-Jubeir, Iran's support for Hamas and Islamic Jihad has harmed the Palestinian Authority; Iran has destroyed Syria; it smuggles weapons to Kuwait and Bahrain; it supplies weapons to terrorist groups; it establishes weapons factories in Sudan and seeks to plunge Africa, Indonesia, and Thailand into chaos. The Saudi Minister of State also described Iran's ballistic missile program as 'another regional problem' for which Iran must be 'punished,' just as 'Iran's support for terrorism is unacceptable.' Al-Jubeir added, 'When the JCPOA was signed, everyone thought everything was going well... but we who were in the region were aware of other issues with Iran. Ten years will pass quickly, and Iran can build a nuclear bomb... in that case, we will be harmed; when they supply missiles to the Houthis and Hezbollah, it is we who are harmed.' The former Saudi Foreign Minister concluded that if Iran were to become a desirable country, it would be good, but Iran has rejected the conciliatory efforts of Arab countries. While Gulf Arab states have always accused Iran of interfering in their internal affairs, officials in Hassan Rouhani's government, including Rouhani himself, have signaled a desire for warm relations with Iran's Arab neighbors. However, on the other hand, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic has never refrained from criticizing and attacking these countries, especially in recent years. Al-Jubeir also stated in Warsaw that anyone who seeks peace and stability in the Middle East must tell Iran to be careful about its behavior. Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, also acknowledged Israel's right to defend itself in response to a question about the UAE's position on Israeli airstrikes against what the country calls 'Iranian targets and Iran's allies in Syria.' Meanwhile, Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Bahrain's Foreign Minister, stated in an interview with a reporter from the Israeli media outlet Walla in Warsaw that the establishment of official relations between Bahrain and Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Manama 'will happen in due time' and 'will eventually take place.' However, both the Bahraini Foreign Minister and the Saudi Minister of State did not respond to other reporters' questions regarding whether they met with the Israeli Prime Minister in Warsaw. Benjamin Netanyahu, on Wednesday, February 13, after meeting with Youssef bin Alawi, the Omani Foreign Minister, who appeared before cameras in Warsaw, stated in Hebrew that he came to the Warsaw meeting 'to advance common interests with pioneering Arab countries in the fight against Iran.' While this video of his remarks was broadcast in Israeli media, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office changed the English text of his remarks from 'war with Iran' to 'confronting Iran.' The Israeli Prime Minister told the Omani Foreign Minister that the recent invitation from Sultan Qaboos for him to visit Muscat 'was a brave decision' and that 'many countries, some of which were also present at the Warsaw conference, have taken a similar path... and Israel's foreign relations are positively warming (with Arab countries).' Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, emphasized at the final press conference of the Warsaw conference that 'the Iranian threat has brought Arab countries and Israel closer together.' Mike Pence, the U.S. Vice President, also expressed satisfaction with the presence of Arab countries alongside Israel at this conference, stating that 'a new era' has begun. Iran, which was one of the main topics at the two-day Warsaw conference, initially referred to the conference as a 'circus' and later labeled the final statement of the conference as a 'document of failure.'