Netanyahu Holds Secret UAE Meeting with Mohamed bin Zayed Confirmed by Both States

Official confirmation of the Abu Dhabi visit

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the Gulf country on Sunday, 27 September 2026. The meeting was confirmed on Monday evening by the Emirati state news agency WAM and the Israeli prime minister's office, marking the first officially acknowledged visit by Netanyahu to the UAE. Israeli statements indicated that Netanyahu traveled at the invitation of the Emirati president to address bilateral relations and regional challenges. Three senior Israeli officials reported the discussions lasted six hours and centered on Iran, while separate sources cited by Israeli television stated the direct talks lasted about one hour. The Israeli delegation included the prime minister's wife, Sara Netanyahu, alongside senior security officials and the director of Mossad.

Reports of pre-October 7 warnings

The visit follows reporting regarding advance warnings delivered before the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack against Israel. Reporting published earlier in September by Israeli newspaper Haaretz stated that Sheikh Mohamed warned Netanyahu of an impending large-scale attack during a 45-minute telephone conversation, an alert that Netanyahu allegedly did not pass to Israeli security agencies. According to reporting by AP and Israeli media, Netanyahu traveled to Abu Dhabi in part to request a public denial of the Haaretz account, a request that the Emirati president declined. Netanyahu's office denied the claim, describing the report as false news linked to election campaigning ahead of upcoming Israeli parliamentary elections, and announced plans for a defamation lawsuit against Haaretz. The UAE previously stated that it does not comment on press speculation regarding discussions between heads of state.

Intelligence warnings and regional diplomacy

The dispute over the Emirati warning coincides with wider reporting on intelligence shared before the 2023 assault. A report by The Atlantic, citing officials from Israel, Egypt, other Arab states, the United States, and Europe, stated that Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel visited Israel less than two weeks before 7 October 2023 to warn that Hamas was mobilizing for a large-scale offensive. Netanyahu has also denied receiving that warning from Cairo. The UAE established formal diplomatic relations with Israel under the 2020 Abraham Accords, later expanding cooperation in commerce, defense, and regional diplomacy. Earlier in 2026, the UAE denied a reported secret meeting between the two leaders said to have taken place on 26 March in Al-Ain.

Domestic censorship and security dispute

Before the official confirmation of the trip, news of the unannounced visit broke on Israeli television station Channel 12. In response, Israel's internal security agency, Shin Bet, submitted a formal complaint to the chief military censor demanding legal action against the broadcaster for publishing the report while Netanyahu's aircraft was still outside Israeli airspace.

“The broadcast endangered the lives of the prime minister, his wife, and the members of the delegation, including the head of Mossad.”

Channel 12 aired its reporting while the Israeli delegation was returning to Israel. The prime minister's office argued that the report constituted a severe breach of military censorship rules, maintaining that publicizing the flight route during transit posed a direct security risk.