Netanyahu: We struck Iranian targets in Syria, arms shipments for Hizballah
In comments overheard by reporters during a summit in Budapest, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel has conducted numerous strikes against Iranian targets including arms shipments headed for Hizballah. He said during the meeting with the leaders of four Central European countries that "I told (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, when we see them transferring weapons to Hezbollah, we will hurt them. We did it dozens of times."
Regarding the EU's policy toward Israel, he said that only the EU conditions relations with Israel on political conditions, calling it "crazy" and "against Europe's interests." He added that "Europe is dissociating itself from the biggest center of innovation in the world. It makes no sense." He called on Europe not to undermine the only country in the Middle East that takes care of Europe's interests.
Reporters at Netanyahu's summit with the leaders of Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia said the comments came through to their headlines from a "hot mic" The prime minister's aides switched it off when they realized his words in a private conversation were heard loud and clear.
DEBKAfile: It is hard to believe that his aides did not notice this. It is more likely that Netanyahu used this device to emphasize his message to Iran and Hizballah and their efforts to plant themselves close to the Israeli border, as well as bluntly airing his contempt for Europe's attitude towards the Jewish state.