Netanyahu meets MBZ as US-Iran war rages: What’s behind Israeli PM’s secret visit to UAE? | Today’s news

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly traveled to the United Arab Emirates over the weekend, the AP reported. The purpose of the trip was to ask the Emirati leader to deny reports that he had warned Netanyahu of the imminent threat of Hamas ahead of an October 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian militant group on southern Israel.

The meeting between Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan took place on Sunday, two people briefed on the Israeli leader’s trip confirmed to the news agency on Monday.

Haaretz report on September 9

Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported on September 9 that UAE President Al Nahyan spoke to Netanyahu by phone about 10 days before the attack, warning him of a threat from then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar that he was preparing a “huge surprise”.

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Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, also known as MBZ or MbZ, is an Emirati king and politician who has served as the third President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi since 2022.

The meeting was first reported by the Israeli TV station Channel 12.

One of them, according to the AP report, said the talks centered on a report published by Israel’s Haaretz daily earlier this month that the Emirati leader had warned Netanyahu of an imminent attack by Hamas just before October 7, 2023.

Netanyahu asked Sheikh Mohammed to deny the report, according to a person with first-hand knowledge of the meeting. Netanyahu’s office previously denied the Haaretz report. The person, along with a regional official briefed on the meeting, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the secret trip.

The Israeli prime minister’s office said the meeting focused on “strengthening relations between the two countries and regional challenges.”

During the visit to the UAE, Netanyahu’s wife, the head of the National Security Council, the head of the Mossad, the military secretary and a political adviser were also with the Israeli prime minister.

The rare trip comes exactly one month before Israel’s Oct. 27 election and amid heightened political controversy in Israel over Haaretz and The New York Times reports that Sheikh Mohammed had warned Netanyahu of a major Hamas operation days before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

At least 1,195 people in southern Israel during the Hamas attack and about 250 were captured. Israel’s response has escalated into a full-scale war against Gaza, which has so far killed at least 73,669 Palestinians, according to estimates by human rights bodies.

The Shin Bet files a complaint

The Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, filed a complaint with Israel’s chief military censor against Channel 12 over what it called serious censorship violations. She said the timing of the report compromised the prime minister and the operation and forces on the ground and exposed Shin Bet’s operational methods.

The UAE Foreign Ministry declined to comment on reports of the meeting, but stressed that it maintains “open and direct lines of communication” with Israel and shares “all relevant intelligence”.

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The UAE’s state-run WAM news agency later confirmed the visit, saying the two leaders discussed “bilateral relations between the UAE and Israel as well as ways to strengthen and develop them” on Sunday.

The meeting was dominated by discussion of the Iran war

An Israeli source familiar with the visit told CNN on Sunday that the secret meeting was dominated by discussion of Iran, an arena where the two countries have deepened their cooperation, including during the current Iran war.

But WAM, the UAE’s state news agency, confirmed that Sheikh Mohammed and Netanyahu had a meeting. The two leaders “discussed bilateral relations between the UAE and Israel and ways to strengthen and further develop them,” WAM said.

There were reports of Sheikh Mohammed’s warning to Netanyahu. But the UAE’s foreign ministry said earlier this month that it “does not comment on media stories or speculation regarding talks between government leaders” but did not dismiss the call.

“If necessary, all relevant intelligence has been and will continue to be shared between the relevant entities,” the statement said.

At the time, an Israeli source familiar with the matter said Netanyahu’s office tried to get the UAE to deny the report, but the UAE only agreed to issue an intelligence-sharing statement.

Neither Israel nor the United Arab Emirates mentioned the reported Oct. 7 warning in their statements Monday about Netanyahu’s trip, CNN reported.

In May, Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister had secretly visited the UAE in March, during the early days of the Iran war, calling it a “historic breakthrough”. However, the UAE Foreign Ministry denied his claim at the time as “completely baseless”.

What this means for the US-Israel war

The meeting is significant as it appears to be about more than just bilateral relations between Israel and the UAEalthough public statements from both governments did not disclose details of the negotiations.

Israel and the UAE have maintained diplomatic ties since the signing of the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020. However, the relationship has become particularly important as the impact of the US-Iran war has intensified in the region.

Abu Dhabi has sought to maintain its own channels with Tehran while developing security cooperation with Israel, according to international media.

The UAE’s geographical proximity to Iran makes it particularly vulnerable to any escalation. The country has faced Iranian attacks during the current conflict, while Israel has reportedly provided air defense assistance to help protect Emirati territory. In May, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Israel had deployed Iron Dome batteries and personnel to the UAE amid fears of Iranian attacks.

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This gives the Netanyahu-MBZ channel additional meaning: Israel and the UAE share security concerns about Iran, even though Abu Dhabi has not publicly positioned itself as a participant in the US-Israeli war against Tehran.

The UAE also emphasized that it maintains “open and direct lines of communication” with Israel and that the two sides share relevant intelligence.

Abu Dhabi has its own relationship with Tehran and has repeatedly sought to avoid being drawn deeper into regional conflicts.

Why the October 7 dispute matters

The timing of the meeting is also important to Netanyahu.

The reported warning from MBZ, if implemented, would add another dimension to the ongoing Israeli debate about what intelligence and warning was available before the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas.

Haaretz reported that MBZ warned Netanyahu of a “huge surprise” roughly 10 days before the attack, while Netanyahu’s office denied the report. The UAE has not publicly confirmed the alleged conversation.

Netanyahu’s reported demand that MBZ reject the bill thus has implications beyond the Israel-UAE relationship: it touches on the politically sensitive issue of what the Israeli leadership knew before October 7 and what actions were taken based on available warnings.

The visit to the UAE appears to have two overlapping dimensions: the immediate political controversy surrounding the alleged October 7 warning and the broader strategic relationship between Israel and the UAE as the Iran war continues.

(With input from AP, agencies and Al Jazeera)