Benjamin Netanyahu referred to Israel as a ‘nuclear power’ in an apparent slip of the tongue. The Jewish state is widely considered one, but has maintained ambiguity, neither confirming nor denying possession of a nuclear arsenal.

Reading a prepared statement to his cabinet on Sunday, Netanyahu lauded the importance of a subsea gas pipeline that will connect Israel with Cyprus and Greece. A trilateral agreement on the project was signed during his trip to Athens this week.

“The significance of this project is that we are turning Israel into a nuclear power,” he said, before quickly correcting himself to say “energy power” and acknowledging his mistake with a smile.

ראש הממשלה בהצהרה כמעט היסטורית pic.twitter.com/zqVg2Ow9Ab — מיכאל שמש Michael Shemesh (@shemeshmicha) January 5, 2020

Israel is estimated to hold about 90 nuclear warheads in its arsenal and a wide range of delivery systems. It is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which only recognizes five nuclear powers – the US, Russia, China, Britain and France. In that regard, Israel is in the company of India, Pakistan and North Korea.

The gaffe coming from the seasoned politician was seized by his critics online, who mocked Netanyahu. The prime minister is currently fighting for political survival, facing corruption charges and the third snap general election since April 2019.

When you holding a "secret" for so long, you will end up expose it sooner or later. https://t.co/wqtUt0FZY8 — BeskoOfficial (@Beskooo) January 5, 2020

Whoopsy-daisy. Are Americans free to talk about this now, or still no?"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accidently referred to Israel as a 'nuclear power' during a cabinet meeting Sunday, immediately correcting himself to 'energy power.'"https://t.co/3PoISmHXEq — Adam Bates (@AdamTaylorBates) January 5, 2020

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