Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates on Sunday (September 27) and held a meeting with the country’s President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. An Israeli source familiar with the matter confirmed the information.
According to information provided to CNN, the issue of Iran was the primary focus of the meeting. However, Netanyahu’s office did not confirm the visit. CNN has contacted the UAE Foreign Ministry for comment.
The report notes that Netanyahu’s visit took place amidst intensifying political debate in Israel—ahead of the October 27 elections—regarding whether Israel had received any warnings prior to the October 7, 2023, attack.
Reports by Haaretz and The New York Times claim that a few days before the October 7 attack, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu about a major operation by Hamas. The Atlantic and The Wall Street Journal have also reported on multiple warnings issued to Israel by Egypt regarding the same matter.
Netanyahu’s office, however, has denied these claims, stating that no such warnings were received. The office maintains that these “fabricated lies” are being spread to damage Netanyahu politically.
Meanwhile, the opposition has seized upon this issue to intensify demands for accountability regarding the failure to prevent the October 7 attack. Gadi Eisenkot, considered Netanyahu’s main rival in public opinion polls, stated on Saturday that the issue of the warning serves as proof of Netanyahu’s “blindness, arrogance, and irresponsibility.”
Earlier, in May, Netanyahu’s office had claimed that he secretly visited the UAE in March—amidst the conflict involving Iran. The UAE had dismissed that claim as “completely baseless” at the time.
Israeli officials have stated that security cooperation between the two nations has further increased during the ongoing war. Reports have also emerged regarding the deployment of Israel’s Iron Dome defense system in the UAE.
It has not been publicly acknowledged that Netanyahu has made any official visit to the United Arab Emirates so far.
