Netanyahu Denies UAE Warning Before Oct. 7, Threatens Lawsuit

A new book by Israeli journalists Schlomi Eldar and Ruti Youval, "Hostages, 843 Days of Abandonment," claims Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a direct warning from the UAE president about an impending Hamas attack before October 7th and failed to act. The book, excerpted in the newspaper Haaretz, alleges that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed conveyed a "sharp warning" to Netanyahu in a 45-minute phone call in late September 2023, detailing Hamas leader Sinwar's intentions. The journalists assert that Netanyahu, aware of the impending attack, should have alerted security forces.

Haaretz published an editorial titled "He Knew" to emphasize the claim. The report suggests Netanyahu was the one who should have alerted others, rather than being the one who needed to be alerted. Following the initial report, Ynet published that the UAE did not deny the report of the call with Netanyahu, adding that a warning was also allegedly passed to then-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar. The UAE has stated it will not comment on media reports or speculation regarding its conversations.

Netanyahu's office vehemently denied the reports, calling them "false" and stating that "no warning was given to the Prime Minister from the United Arab Emirates before October 7th." They added that any relevant information would have been transmitted through official intelligence channels. The article also mentions a previous, now-discredited report by journalist Smadar Peri about a warning from Egypt's intelligence minister.

Despite the denial, Eldar maintained the story is backed by "documentation, recordings, and cross-referencing." However, President Isaac Herzog's office issued a statement clarifying that his conversations with bin Zayed prior to October 7th focused on social and internal Israeli matters, not security issues or Hamas. A Channel 12 News report cited an "anonymous source close to the UAE government" confirming a warning existed but was unclear on its content or recipient in Israel.

Political rivals of Netanyahu seized on the report. Benny Gantz stated Netanyahu received "dozens of warnings and ignored them all." Yair Golan declared "the stories about 'they didn't wake me up' are over" and called for Netanyahu's imprisonment. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett initially gave conflicting statements but eventually claimed Netanyahu received warnings from both bin Zayed and former Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and ignored them, holding him directly responsible. Bennett later reportedly claimed in closed discussions that bin Zayed personally told him about the warning call and asked him not to reveal it, a claim Bennett has since denied.

Netanyahu's advisor, Topaz Lok, asserted that all political discussions involving the Prime Minister are documented and shared with relevant parties. The Biden administration reportedly stated it was unaware of any "concrete warning" from the UAE about a major Hamas operation. A separate report indicated bin Zayed told the CIA director that he had spoken with Netanyahu before October 7th, describing the situation as "explosive on the ground," which is characterized as a general assessment rather than a specific warning. Former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also denied details of the Haaretz report concerning other messages from the UAE.

Netanyahu has sent a pre-litigation letter to Haaretz and the journalists, demanding NIS 2.5 million in damages. He called the report a "complete fabrication" intended to harm national security and himself, and an act of "fraud" aimed at improperly influencing elections. He demands the article's removal, a public apology, and NIS 1 million in settlement. Netanyahu also suggested Palestinian official Mohammed Dahlan might be behind the report, aiming to topple the right-wing government, and questioned the timing of visits by Ronen Bar and Yair Golan to the UAE. He called for a criminal investigation into the journalists, Haaretz, Yair Golan, and the Democratic Party for alleged election interference with foreign assistance.

The article concludes by noting the ongoing nature of the controversy and quoting Channel 14's political correspondent Tamir Murg, who suggested the event is more "economic and political than journalistic."