Likud MK Accuses Haaretz of Spreading Election-Eve 'Fake News' on Netanyahu

Member of Knesset Moshe Saada of the Likud party has vehemently denied a report published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which alleged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a warning from the President of the United Arab Emirates about Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's intentions approximately 10 days before the October 7th attacks, but failed to relay this intelligence to security officials. Saada, speaking in an interview, dismissed the report as "fake news" and suggested its timing, less than two months before an election, was intended to mislead voters. He argued that if such a significant warning had been received, it would have been shared with the US administration, questioning why President Biden would not have known about it if Netanyahu had been warned.

Saada further speculated that Haaretz published the report knowing it would eventually be proven false, but hoping the revelation would come only after it had influenced public discourse during the election campaign. He predicted that the newspaper would eventually have to apologize for the "fake news." The Haaretz report, based on research for an upcoming book, stated that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke with Netanyahu for about 45 minutes in late September 2023, warning of a "significant event" planned by Sinwar and expressing concern about regional stability and the Abraham Accords. The report claimed Netanyahu assessed the threat as directed towards the West Bank and that the intelligence was not shared with security chiefs.

The Prime Minister's Office issued a sweeping denial, calling the report a "complete lie" and stating Netanyahu did not speak with the UAE President during the period in question nor receive any warning. A response from the UAE president's office was not provided to Haaretz, according to the report. In contrast, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who recently met with the UAE President, reportedly supported the report's claims and criticized Netanyahu.

Separately, Saada commented on the current political climate, asserting that despite negative reports about the government, the Israeli public, particularly the Jewish population, is moving further to the right. He cited a Haaretz poll indicating that 83% of Jewish Israelis support "immigration," which he equated to the concept of "transfer" previously discussed by former minister Rafael Eitan.