Netanyahu Holds Secret Meeting in UAE Amid Reports of Prior Warning
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a clandestine visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. This marks the second meeting between the two leaders in recent months, occurring against the backdrop of reports that bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu of potential escalation prior to the October 7th Hamas attacks. The UAE has remained silent regarding the visit, which was first reported by Kan News.
Netanyahu departed from Ben Gurion Airport on a business jet belonging to an Israeli businessman, which is frequently used by senior Israeli officials. He landed in Abu Dhabi at approximately 3:10 PM and departed four hours later, returning to Israel shortly before 10:00 PM. The same aircraft was reportedly used for Netanyahu's previous visit to Abu Dhabi during the recent conflict with Iran.
The significance of a second meeting within a short period suggests that the UAE views its relationship with Israel as a long-term strategic partnership, independent of who leads the Israeli government. This discreet diplomatic engagement underscores the ongoing strategic alignment between the two nations.
The meeting follows a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which claimed that bin Zayed had issued a general warning to Netanyahu about the possibility of violent escalation in the days leading up to October 7th. According to sources cited in the report, bin Zayed conveyed this concern to CIA Director Bill Burns in a conversation months after the war began, stating he had warned Netanyahu of a potential "violent explosion." However, the exact timing of bin Zayed's conversation with Netanyahu remains unclear, and the warning was described as general rather than specific, focusing on the broader situation with Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
An unofficial source from the UAE commented on the secrecy of the meeting, suggesting it was intended to avoid disrupting positive relations between Israel and the Emirates. The UAE has not officially commented on the meeting, and previously denied reports of a prior meeting between Netanyahu and bin Zayed.
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