UAE Confirms Netanyahu Meeting in Abu Dhabi

The UAE publicly confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, a rare acknowledgment of contact during persistent regional tensions. The UAE said the talks focused on bilateral ties, while Netanyahu’s office cited regional challenges and Israeli officials said Iran dominated the roughly six-hour meeting. The visit came amid reports that bin Zayed warned Netanyahu before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack that a major operation was being planned; Netanyahu denies receiving the warning, has threatened legal action against the newspaper that reported it, and his office denied reports that he sought a UAE denial during the visit. The allegation has become an issue in Netanyahu’s reelection campaign, with opponents accusing him of responsibility for security failures before the attack. Netanyahu’s office also accused Israeli Channel 12 of violating censorship rules by reporting the trip and said the disclosure put the delegation at risk. The meeting took place as Israel approached an election and the UAE and Israel maintained security and diplomatic ties despite wider regional tensions.