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The UAE president hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Emirates on Sunday, official media and Netanyahu’s office said, in a rare public acknowledgment at a time when the Israeli leader is widely seen in the region as the face of the Gaza war.
It appeared to be the first time Abu Dhabi acknowledged a meeting between UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Netanyahu, confirming earlier Israeli media reports.
Netanyahu’s office also confirmed the trip, saying the visit “focused on strengthening relations between the two countries and on regional challenges” amid delicate U.S.-backed diplomacy on the Iran war.
“The two sides discussed bilateral relations between the UAE and Israel and ways to strengthen and develop them,” the Emirati statement said.
The visit came weeks after an Israeli media report said the Emirati president had warned Netanyahu ahead of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and that Netanyahu did not pass the warning to security services.
Netanyahu has denied the report.
According to Israeli media, Netanyahu flew to the UAE on Sunday to ask Sheikh Mohamed to deny having given him the warning in 2023.
Earlier Monday, before Netanyahu’s office formally confirmed the destination, Israel’s domestic security service filed a complaint against a TV channel that reported the visit.
“This evening the Shin Bet filed a complaint with the Chief Military Censor, demanding that Channel 12 be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law following a severe censorship violation,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. The prime minister’s office oversees the security agency.
The publication of the visit “endangered the lives of the prime minister and his wife, as well as the delegation, which included the head of the Mossad” spy agency and other senior security officials, the statement said.
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The visit was made public while the prime minister’s plane was still outside Israeli airspace, it added.
Mossad, which also operates under the Prime Minister’s Office, issued a similar condemnation, according to the statement.
In May, the UAE denied reports that Netanyahu had secretly visited the country, after Netanyahu’s own office said he had met with the UAE president during the war with Iran.
The UAE is a top U.S. ally in the region and one of a handful of Arab nations with official ties to Israel after signing the Abraham Accords during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term in 2020.
The two countries grew closer during the conflict, with Israel reportedly sending Iron Dome air defense systems, along with personnel to operate them, to the UAE.
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