The United Arab Emirates confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a visit to the country over the weekend. The confirmation was made late on Monday, following Netanyahu's secret trip to the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. This visit occurred a month before Israeli elections amid controversy over reports that Bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu of a potential Hamas operation prior to the attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations between the UAE and Israel and ways to strengthen and develop them, according to the official Emirates News Agency, WAM. The meeting was previously reported in the Israeli press.
Palestinian fighters killed at least 1,195 people in southern Israel during the October 7 attack and took around 250 captive. Israel's response escalated into a conflict in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 73,669 Palestinians.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Bin Zayed spoke to Netanyahu about 10 days before the attack, warning him of a threat made by then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar regarding a “huge surprise.” Bin Zayed had also alerted Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency, according to the Haaretz report.
Netanyahu's office has denied that the prime minister received any advance information regarding the attacks. He stated that he would sue Haaretz, calling its report “fabricated” and “politically motivated.”
Relations between Israel and the UAE have improved since the signing of the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, which normalized ties between Israel and several Arab states. In May, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee mentioned that Israel had deployed Iron Dome air defense batteries and personnel to the UAE to assist in defending against potential Iranian attacks.
Israel’s Channel 12 first reported on Netanyahu’s trip to the UAE. On Monday, Shin Bet stated that it had filed a complaint with Israel’s military censor, claiming that the report endangered the prime minister and exposed the intelligence agency’s operational methods. The allegation that Netanyahu ignored a warning regarding the Hamas attack arises as he seeks to secure his position in the upcoming Knesset elections, where he is trailing in the polls against former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.