Netanyahu’s Secret UAE Visit: Asked Emirati President to Reject Haaretz Account of Pre‑Oct. 7 Warning, Sources Say

# What happened

Sources cited by Haaretz and the Associated Press say Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret trip to the United Arab Emirates and met President Mohamed bin Zayed. According to those sources, Netanyahu asked bin Zayed to deny a Haaretz investigation that said the Emirati leader warned him roughly 10 days before October 7, 2023, that Hamas planned a major attack.

# The competing claims

• Haaretz reports that bin Zayed phoned Netanyahu about a week and a half before Oct. 7 and explicitly warned that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a major operation. Haaretz says bin Zayed urged Netanyahu to take the warning seriously.

• Sources told Haaretz that during the secret meeting at the airport Netanyahu asked bin Zayed to deny the phone call and related details, and requested "moral support." The meeting is described as lasting about an hour.

• Netanyahu's office has called Haaretz's investigation "an absolute lie," said the prime minister did not speak with the Emirati president in the period in question, and threatened to sue the newspaper and the journalists who reported the story. Netanyahu later confirmed he visited the UAE and said bin Zayed invited him and his wife, while denying he asked the Emirati leader to refute Haaretz's account.

• Ministry declined to comment directly on reports of the meeting, but stated it maintains "open and direct lines of communication" with Israel and shares "all relevant intelligence."

# How this fits with earlier reporting

A transcript obtained by media outlets shows that in early October 2023 Netanyahu discussed regional diplomatic concerns with security officials, and Haaretz reports he did not brief Israel's top security chiefs about the Emirati phone warning.

# Immediate implications

The clash between Haaretz's reporting and Netanyahu's denials has legal and political dimensions. Netanyahu's threat to sue and his public denials contrast with independent confirmations reported by other outlets. The episode feeds ongoing debate inside Israel about who received warnings before Oct. 7, how they were handled, and political responsibility for the attack's failure to be prevented.

# Concrete facts established in the reporting

• Sources told Haaretz and the AP that Netanyahu met bin Zayed in the UAE during a visit described as secret.

• Ministry did not confirm the meeting but said it maintains intelligence ties with Israel.

# What remains contested

• Whether Netanyahu asked bin Zayed to publicly deny the Haaretz report during the reported meeting.

# Bottom line