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UAE confirms Israel PM Netanyahu’s visit to Abu Dhabi
Al Jazeera • • world
Key Points:
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi during a secret visit confirmed by the UAE, occurring a month before Israeli elections.
- The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral relations between Israel and the UAE, amid reports that Bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu of a major Hamas attack shortly before the October 7, 2023 assault on southern Israel.
- Netanyahu’s office denied receiving any prior warning about the Hamas attack, with Netanyahu threatening to sue Israeli newspaper Haaretz for its report, calling it fabricated and politically motivated.
- The visit highlights warming ties between Israel and the UAE since the 2020 Abraham Accords, with increased security cooperation including Israel deploying Iron Dome batteries to the UAE.
- The controversy over the alleged ignored warning comes as Netanyahu faces a challenging re-election campaign against former military chief Gadi Eisenkot in the upcoming October Knesset elections.
