Netanyahu Denies UAE President Warning Before Oct. 7, Accuses Palestinian Official of Election Interference

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently denied a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz alleging that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had warned him of a significant operation in Gaza prior to the October 7th Hamas attack. Netanyahu stated on social media that no such conversation took place, asserting that his office, the National Security Council, and the Military Secretary's office had thoroughly checked his call logs and found no record of it. He further claimed the report was a "false fabrication" intended to distract from the failures of the security establishment, specifically naming former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi as having had prior knowledge of the impending attack.

Netanyahu's Likud party echoed these sentiments, accusing Palestinian official Mohammed Dahlan, who resides in the UAE, of being behind the Haaretz report. The party alleged that Dahlan, who they claim has formed a joint list with Hamas for Palestinian elections, is seeking to overthrow Netanyahu's right-wing government to gain control of Gaza. Likud suggested that a weak left-wing government, including figures like Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Golan, and Avigdor Lieberman, would facilitate this by withdrawing from Gaza. The party also questioned a recent visit to the UAE by Yair Golan and Ronen Bar, suggesting a possible link to the Haaretz publication.

In response to the Haaretz report, Netanyahu has instructed his lawyers to file a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper and its journalists, demanding 1 million shekels within 72 hours or facing a 2.5 million shekel suit. He characterized the report as a "malicious fabrication" with clear political timing, part of a left-wing election campaign. Netanyahu also refuted claims that Egypt had warned him of an impending attack, a notion he stated was disproven early in the war.

Opposition leaders Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, and Yair Golan issued a joint statement demanding that the public know what Netanyahu knew and when. They called for an immediate state commission of inquiry in the next government to investigate the failures leading to the October 7th massacre, accusing Netanyahu of lying and ignoring serious warnings.

The Haaretz newspaper stood by its report, stating, "We stand behind the publication." Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official indicated that Abu Dhabi did not appear to intend to issue a denial, which was being interpreted as an implicit confirmation of the report.