Rome, 28 Sept. (LaPresse/AP) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an hour-long meeting on Sunday with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to two people briefed on the leader’s trip. The news was first reported by the Israeli television channel Channel 12. A source familiar with the matter stated that the talks focused on an article published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz earlier this month, which claimed that the UAE leader had warned Netanyahu of an imminent attack by Hamas on the very eve of the 7 October 2023 attack that triggered the war. Netanyahu reportedly asked Sheikh Mohamed to deny the article, according to the person who claimed to have first-hand information about the meeting. Netanyahu’s office had previously denied the Haaretz article. The person, along with a regional official briefed on the meeting, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the secret trip. The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on reports of the meeting. It did, however, state that it maintains “open and direct lines of communication” with Israel and shares “all relevant intelligence information”. There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office.
7 October: Netanyahu asked Emirati leaders to refute the Haaretz report
Rome, 28 Sept. (LaPresse/AP) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an hour-long meeting on Sunday with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to two people briefed on the leader’s trip. The news was first reported by the Israeli television channel Channel 12. A source familiar with the matter stated that the talks focused on an article published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz earlier this month, which claimed that the UAE leader had warned Netanyahu of an imminent attack by Hamas on the very eve of the 7 October 2023 attack that triggered the war. Netanyahu reportedly asked Sheikh Mohamed to deny the article, according to the person who claimed to have first-hand information about the meeting. Netanyahu’s office had previously denied the Haaretz article. The person, along with a regional official briefed on the meeting, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the secret trip. The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on reports of the meeting. It did, however, state that it maintains “open and direct lines of communication” with Israel and shares “all relevant intelligence information”. There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office.