UAE President's Pre-War Warning to Netanyahu Angers Arab World

Journalist Jackie Hugi commented on a Haaretz report stating that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before October 7th that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning an action that would ignite the Middle East. Hugi described this as a very difficult act, explaining that within Arab consciousness, such an action borders on betrayal. He drew a parallel to King Hussein of Jordan, who informed Golda Meir of an impending attack in 1973 and was remembered in Arab memory as a collaborator with the Zionists.

Hugi elaborated that if bin Zayed denies the warning, it would benefit Netanyahu politically, especially since the Israeli Prime Minister is not favored by the UAE leader. This creates a dilemma for Abu Dhabi, and Hugi suggested they might choose to deny the warning after the upcoming elections.

Hugi concluded by noting that history repeats itself, citing the Palestinian figure Mohammed Dahlan as the primary source for the story, who he claims entangled his patron in an embarrassing situation. He likened this to past actions by Yasser Arafat and PLO leaders who repeatedly implicated Arab leaders who provided them with support and shelter.

The report also mentioned that a senior journalist estimates this situation has cost Netanyahu ten Knesset seats.