Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday apologized for remarks he made against Israel's Arab minority as part of his party campaign for the latest Knesset election.

"I know that the things I said a few days ago hurt some citizens in Israel, the Arab Israeli citizens," Netanyahu said during a meeting with representatives of minority communities in Israel on Monday, The Jerusalem Post.

"This was not my intention and I am sorry," he said.

In controversial statements during last week's election, Netanyahu said that "funding from foreign governments to get more Israeli Arabs to vote worked, which means all Right-wing voters must make sure to go to the polls."

Netanyahu's right-wing Likud Party won 30 seats in the Knesset election, while its closest rival, the Zionist Union Party, won 24 seats only.

Netanyahu has won the support of 67 Knesset members to form the next government.