Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on an unannounced visit to Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Netanyahu’s office and the UAE state news agency said the trip focused on strengthening bilateral relations and reviewing regional developments.
According to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu was accompanied on this trip by the head of the National Security Council, the head of Mossad, the prime minister’s military secretary, and a foreign policy advisor.
At the same time, Israeli media and the Associated Press reported that one of the topics of the meeting was the recent report about Mohammed bin Zayed’s possible warning to Netanyahu before the attack on October 7, 2023. According to these reports, Netanyahu asked the Emirati president to deny this narrative.
Netanyahu’s office denied the report, saying the trip was only aimed at strengthening relations between the two sides and reviewing regional challenges. The UAE Foreign Ministry did not comment on the details of the meeting, but said Abu Dhabi has open and direct channels of communication with Israel.
