Israeli Journalists Clash Over Report of UAE Warning Before Oct. 7

A report published in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, claiming that the President of the United Arab Emirates warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a significant Hamas operation days before October 7, has sparked intense debate and criticism among Israeli journalists. Right-wing media figures, including commentators from Channel 14, i24, and Channel 12, have vehemently dismissed the report as a fabrication and a "journalistic duck" (a false or baseless story).

Legal commentator Avishai Grinzaig of i24 was among the first to publicly denounce the Haaretz report, calling it illogical and baseless. He asserted that the story had been denied by "everyone, including everyone." However, veteran journalist Smadar Peri, who had reported a similar warning from Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel to Netanyahu days before the attack, stood by her reporting. Peri stated that her high-level source confirmed the warning, and the news was also reported by the Associated Press. She noted that while Netanyahu's office denied the specific detail of the warning being delivered directly to him rather than his office, this was a semantic distinction, as the Prime Minister's office functions on his behalf.

Further complicating the narrative, Channel 12 commentator Amit Segal also declared the report "not correct, to put it mildly," and later claimed it was disproven on October 9, 2023. However, the article points out that this date was the day Peri's similar report was published, questioning the timing of Segal's assertion of immediate refutation. A report in The National, an Abu Dhabi-based newspaper, cited an Emirati official denying that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Netanyahu of an "imminent attack." However, the article argues this was a misrepresentation, as the original Haaretz report spoke of a general warning, not an immediate one. The UAE's official statement, which avoided direct confirmation or denial, maintained that the UAE does not comment on media reports but keeps open communication channels with Israel and shares relevant intelligence.

Despite the denials and criticisms, the article highlights that three American sources confirmed to journalist Barak Ravid of Channel 12 that the conversation between the UAE President and Netanyahu did occur. The author criticizes the automatic dismissal of such reports by some journalists, suggesting it may stem from a desire to protect Netanyahu's "I wasn't alerted" campaign regarding the failures leading up to October 7. The piece also references previous reports of warnings Netanyahu allegedly ignored, including those from Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, and investigative journalist Ronen Bergman, suggesting a pattern of dismissal of intelligence prior to the Hamas attack.