Netanyahu’s reported UAE trip puts Iran and election politics in focus

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reported to have made a private visit to the United Arab Emirates, where Iran is believed to have been a central issue in discussions with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.

CNN reports that an Israeli source familiar with the visit disclosed the meeting. Netanyahu’s office has not confirmed the trip, while the network said it had approached the UAE foreign ministry for comment.

If confirmed, the visit would come shortly before Israel’s October 27 election and amid renewed controversy over claims that Netanyahu was warned ahead of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.

Reports by Haaretz and The New York Times have alleged that Bin Zayed warned Netanyahu about the possibility of a major Hamas operation. The Atlantic has separately reported that Egypt’s intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, travelled to Israel in September 2023 with a warning about the situation in Gaza.

The Wall Street Journal has also reported that Israel received several Egyptian warnings, including one communicated to Netanyahu by telephone shortly before the attack.

Netanyahu’s office has denied receiving such warnings and has described the allegations as politically motivated.

The reports have nevertheless become part of the political debate ahead of the Israeli election, with opponents questioning the government’s handling of intelligence and preparations before the Hamas attack.

The UAE previously declined to comment directly on reports of communications between its leaders and Netanyahu. Its foreign ministry said relevant intelligence had been and continued to be communicated between the appropriate authorities.

The two countries have also reportedly expanded security cooperation during the war with Iran. Israel is said to have deployed an Iron Dome missile-defence system to the UAE, while Israeli officials have described bilateral security cooperation as reaching unprecedented levels.

Netanyahu’s office said in May that he had secretly travelled to the UAE in March, describing the visit as a historic breakthrough. The UAE government rejected that account at the time.

Netanyahu has never made a publicly acknowledged official visit to the UAE.