Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly held undisclosed talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, focusing on shared concerns over Iran — as new allegations of pre-October 7 intelligence warnings dominate Israel's election campaign.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an unannounced visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to a source familiar with the matter. The discussions centred heavily on Iran, reflecting deepening security cooperation between the two nations amid ongoing tensions in the region. Netanyahu's office has not confirmed the trip, and the UAE foreign ministry has not issued a statement, though the meeting is said to build on strengthened security ties established during recent regional conflicts.
The visit comes exactly one month before Israel's general election on October 27, placing it squarely within a heated campaign season. The trip has also surfaced against the backdrop of explosive media reports claiming Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed personally warned Netanyahu of a major impending Hamas operation just days before the October 7, 2023 attacks. Haaretz and The New York Times published details of the alleged warning, which Netanyahu has repeatedly denied receiving — dismissing the reports as fabricated lies intended to undermine him politically.
The allegations have become a central campaign issue. Netanyahu's chief challenger, former military chief Gadi Eizenkot, stated: "This leaves no room for doubt: Netanyahu led, with blindness, arrogance and irresponsibility, the State of Israel to the greatest disaster in its history." Further reports from The Wall Street Journal indicate Egypt also conveyed at least three separate warnings about Gaza in the days leading up to the attacks, with the final alert delivered directly to Netanyahu in a phone call.
The UAE's response to the initial warning report was carefully phrased: its foreign ministry said it "does not comment on media stories or speculation," but did not deny the communication took place, adding that relevant intelligence has always been shared between parties. An Israeli source claimed Netanyahu's office asked the UAE to issue a flat denial, but Abu Dhabi declined and instead released the more guarded statement. Netanyahu's Likud party subsequently alleged "blatant foreign interference" in the election via UAE-based Palestinian politician Mohammed Dahlan, though no evidence was provided.
This is not the first time a secret Netanyahu-UAE visit has been reported. In May, his office claimed he travelled to the UAE in March during the early phase of the Iran war — a claim the UAE described then as "completely unfounded." Israel has reportedly deployed Iron Dome defence systems to the UAE, and security cooperation between the two has reached unprecedented levels. Netanyahu has never made a publicly acknowledged official visit to the UAE.
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