Bennett Offers Conflicting Accounts on UAE Warning to Netanyahu Before Oct. 7

Naftali Bennett, chairman of the "Bayit Yehudi" party, presented contradictory statements regarding a report that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Yahya Sinwar's intentions prior to the October 7th Hamas attack. In an interview with Army Radio, Bennett expressed uncertainty about the report, stating, "I am not familiar with this information. If this is true, it is simply another terrible stain on Netanyahu."

However, in a subsequent interview with 103FM, Bennett asserted the report's accuracy. "This fact is true. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed of the Emirates warned Netanyahu," he stated. These comments stem from an investigation by the newspaper Haaretz, detailed in a new book by Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval.

The investigation claims that approximately a week and a half before October 7th, an unusual 45-minute phone call took place between bin Zayed and Netanyahu. During this call, the UAE president allegedly warned that Sinwar was planning a significant event, conveying a message that he was preparing an "earthquake." According to the report, Netanyahu interpreted this as a potential escalation in the West Bank and did not inform the Defense Minister, the IDF Chief of Staff, the head of the Shin Bet, or the head of the Mossad.

Prime Minister Netanyahu vehemently denied the report on Tuesday, calling it "complete fake news" and asserting that no such conversation occurred. He stated, "There was no such conversation, and there was no warning." Netanyahu further explained that such calls are never private, always involve representatives from the National Security Council or others, are recorded, and leave a paper trail, none of which exist for the alleged conversation.