Netanyahu asked UAE President to deny news of pre-Oct. 7 warning - report
Netanyahu asked UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed to deny a report that he had warned Israel before the Oct. 7 attack, a source familiar with their private meeting told AP
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly made an unannounced visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, September 27, and met President Mohamed bin Zayed, according to reports from Israeli media and a senior Israeli official who spoke to Reuters.
The reported meeting brings renewed attention to a disputed account of what the two leaders discussed before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack.
Two people briefed on the trip told the Associated Press that the leaders met for about an hour. One said Netanyahu asked President Mohamed bin Zayed to publicly reject a Haaretz report alleging that the Emirati president had warned him of a possible major Hamas attack days before October 7.
Netanyahu’s office has denied that he received such a warning. The account of Sunday’s conversation rests on an anonymous source; neither leader has publicly confirmed what was said.
Iran was also on the agenda, according to i24NEWS, which cited a source saying it was the main focus of Netanyahu’s roughly six-hour stay in the UAE.
The UAE’s Foreign Ministry said the country maintains direct communication with Israel and shares relevant intelligence. Netanyahu’s office had not immediately commented on the visit, leaving the purpose and outcome of the talks unconfirmed.