Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, and held talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The trip was confirmed by multiple Israeli media outlets, including Israeli Channel 12, The Jerusalem Post, and Reuters. Netanyahu departed Ben-Gurion Airport shortly after noon on a private jet, landed in Abu Dhabi at 3:10 p.m., spent roughly four hours in meetings, and left for Israel at 7:10 p.m.
The visit occurs against a backdrop of a controversy sparked by a Haaretz investigation published on Sept. 8, 2026, which claims UAE President bin Zayed warned Netanyahu in late September 2023 about an imminent Hamas operation. According to the report, the warning was delivered during a 45-minute phone call about ten days before the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas assault. The warning allegedly described plans by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to cause massive bloodshed.
The Haaretz report alleges that the warning was not passed on to Israel's security chiefs, a claim supported by five former senior Israeli officials who said the conversation is absent from internal investigations. The New York Times later reported that it had corroborated the substance of the warning through two separate sources. Netanyahu's office has categorically denied the Haaretz claim, stating that no warning was received from the UAE before Oct. 7.
The controversy has become a dominant issue in Israel's election campaign, with voting scheduled for Oct. 27, 2026, and recent polls showing Netanyahu's Likud trailing opposition parties. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot has used the Haaretz report to allege that Netanyahu ignored multiple warnings about the Oct. 7 attack, calling him unfit for office. Netanyahu's office has instructed his lawyers to pursue defamation proceedings against Haaretz, its journalists, and "other elements".
Haaretz has defended its reporting and rejected the defamation claim, asserting that the lawsuit aims to silence journalistic criticism. The Prime Minister's Office declined to provide details about the agenda of the meetings between Netanyahu and bin Zayed. However, Israeli state broadcaster Kan TV reported that the primary focus of the meeting was Iran and broader regional tensions.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the specific warning allegation but reiterated that its post-Oct 7 engagement aims at de-escalation and regional stability, with intelligence shared as appropriate. The meeting between Netanyahu and bin Zayed is seen as an effort to strengthen bilateral ties and address regional security concerns.
The controversy surrounding the Haaretz report is likely to continue to impact Israel's election campaign in the coming weeks. Netanyahu's Likud party is trailing opposition parties in recent polls, and the issue is being used by opposition leaders to question Netanyahu's leadership and fitness for office.
Key points
- Netanyahu visited the UAE on Sept. 27, 2026, and held talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
- A Haaretz report alleges that the UAE president warned Netanyahu about an imminent Hamas operation in late September 2023, which was not passed on to Israel's security chiefs.
- The controversy has become a dominant issue in Israel's election campaign, with Netanyahu's Likud trailing opposition parties in recent polls.
