UAE Confirms Netanyahu’s Secret Visit to Abu Dhabi
The UAE has confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi over the weekend, after the previously undisclosed visit was reported in Israel. The meeting comes amid continued UAE-Israel cooperation and renewed scrutiny of a report that Sheikh Mohamed warned Netanyahu about a major Hamas attack before October 7, 2023.
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In a Nutshell
- UAE state news agency WAM confirmed that Sheikh Mohamed received Netanyahu in Abu Dhabi and said they discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them.
- The visit came amid a dispute over whether Sheikh Mohamed warned Netanyahu about a major Hamas attack before October 7, 2023.
- Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Sheikh Mohamed gave the warning around 10 days before the attack, while Netanyahu has denied receiving it.
- The UAE has declined to confirm or deny the reported conversation, saying relevant intelligence is communicated through official channels.
Context
The meeting comes six years after the Abraham Accords established diplomatic ties between Israel and the UAE. The two countries opened embassies in 2021 and expanded their relationship to include trade, investment, and security cooperation, including a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement that took effect in 2023.
The relationship has survived the Gaza war as well. The UAE has kept diplomatic ties with Israel while calling for a ceasefire, humanitarian access and a two-state solution.
Why It Matters
The timing puts the meeting at the intersection of two very different parts of the UAE-Israel relationship. Abu Dhabi has preserved its diplomatic and security channels with Israel despite its opposition to the Gaza war. Netanyahu, on the other hand, is under renewed scrutiny in Israel over the alleged warnings which were received before October 7.
What We Think
The strongest conclusion from the available record is about the relationship itself: the UAE and Israel still have a functioning high-level channel despite their disagreements over Gaza. The fact that Netanyahu travelled to Abu Dhabi and met Sheikh Mohamed, with the UAE later confirming the meeting, establishes that much.
The allegation of a warning cannot yet be proven due to a lack of evidence, and both sides are claiming different things. Netanyahu says he did not receive such a warning, and Abu Dhabi has declined to confirm or deny the private conversation.