Israeli leader to attend Mideast conference in Poland

JERUSALEM – An Israeli official says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will attend an international summit on the Middle East next week in Poland.

The U.S. and Poland are sponsoring the Feb. 13-14 conference, which they say is aimed at promoting peace and security in the region.

The Israeli official who confirmed Netanyahu’s participation on Sunday spoke on condition of anonymity because a formal announcement has not been made.

Netanyahu is an outspoken critic of Iran, which was not invited to the conference. Iran has called the gathering an anti-Iran “circus.”

Russia has also said it will not attend. The event has also received a lukewarm response from the European Union, whose foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, is also skipping the event.

A final list of participants has not been announced.