Netanyahu Sues Haaretz Over Report on UAE Warning Before Oct. 7

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed his lawyers to file a defamation lawsuit against the Israeli newspaper Haaretz and its journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval. The lawsuit follows a report alleging that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Netanyahu ten days before the October 7th Hamas attack about an impending extremist action by the group. Netanyahu's legal action is seen as a response to a report that undermines the government's "I wasn't alerted" campaign, as remaining silent would have implicitly confirmed the report's claims.

This report is the second to suggest Netanyahu received advance warnings from an Arab nation. A previous report by Smadar Peri in Yediot Ahronot, published two days after October 7th, detailed a warning from Egyptian intelligence officials three days before the massacre. U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul confirmed that the U.S. was aware of Egypt's warning to Israel about a potential large-scale Hamas operation.

The Haaretz report, citing Eldar, suggests that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar himself insisted on conveying the warning to Israel through the UAE. According to the account, Sinwar's envoy was sent twice to ensure the message, which Sinwar termed "earthquake," was delivered directly to Netanyahu. The article speculates on Sinwar's motives, including potential friction with Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, who favored immediate confrontation, while Sinwar sought to maximize leverage for concessions.

Further analysis suggests Sinwar may have acted due to perceived Israeli complacency about Hamas's strength, concerns over the right-wing Israeli government's actions regarding the Temple Mount, and the internal Israeli political turmoil, including judicial reform protests and military reservist strikes. These factors, the article posits, created a perceived window of opportunity for Hamas, which ultimately led to the October 7th attack, an event that plunged Israel into a regional conflict it is still struggling to conclude and analyze.

The UAE has remained notably silent on the matter, with its Foreign Ministry issuing only a general statement about intelligence sharing, which the article suggests does not contradict the Haaretz report and may even strengthen it. The article implies that a direct denial from the UAE would have been forthcoming if the report were false.