Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds unannounced secret talks with UAE President in Abu Dhabi

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an unannounced trip to Abu Dhabi on Sunday and met with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed. The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the meeting or its agenda. The visit came amid renewed controversy over reports that bin Zayed warned Netanyahu before the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack; Netanyahu has denied receiving such a warning. It also underscored closer Israel-UAE ties after the two countries cooperated during the recent war with Iran, including Israel’s deployment of an Iron Dome system in the UAE.
Netanyahu traveled aboard a private executive jet, landed in Abu Dhabi at 3:10 p.m., spent about four hours there, and departed at 7:10 p.m., according to flight-tracking information cited by N12.
The visit came two days after Netanyahu returned from the UN General Assembly and about a month before Israel’s election campaign, according to N12.
Reports said Emirati intelligence had passed information to Israel before the October 7 attack; a separate account said bin Zayed and Netanyahu spoke for 45 minutes about the threat.
Emirati diplomats said Israel’s decision to provide an air-defense system during the Iran conflict “will never be forgotten,” adding: “It is good to know who your friends are in times of trouble and who are not.” The UAE and Bahrain were also the only Arab countries whose representatives remained in the UN General Assembly hall during Netanyahu’s recent address.
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