Netanyahu to Sue Haaretz Over Report on UAE Warning Before Oct. 7

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday he has instructed his lawyers to file a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper Haaretz, journalist Shlomi Eldar, and other parties. The legal action follows a report claiming that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu about an impending Hamas attack before October 7.

In a sharp statement, Netanyahu's office labeled the report a "false fabrication against the Prime Minister that never happened." The Prime Minister's office detailed its checks, asserting that no conversation took place between Netanyahu and the UAE president from early September to October 7, 2023. According to the statement, the Prime Minister's office, the National Security Council, and the Military Secretary checked Netanyahu's call logs for the period and found no record of such a call. The office also stated that policy discussions between Netanyahu and bin Zayed are conducted via a UAE representative using an encrypted communication device, and all such calls are documented. Checks of entry logs to the Prime Minister's office during that time also revealed no entry by a UAE representative, with the office emphasizing that entry into the compound requires security documentation and registration.

Netanyahu also refuted claims by Eldar regarding an Egyptian warning, stating it was also untrue and had been debunked early in the war. The Prime Minister characterized the publication as a "malicious fabrication with clear political timing," part of a left-wing election campaign. He reiterated blame for the events preceding the October 7 attack on former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, alleging they saw advance signs but did not update him or take preventative actions.

The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the government does not comment on speculation regarding leaders' conversations, but unlike the Prime Minister's office, did not explicitly deny that a warning was conveyed to Netanyahu. The ministry emphasized that direct communication channels have been maintained between Israeli and UAE officials since normalization, and "all relevant intelligence has been and continues to be transferred between the relevant parties as needed."