Abu Dhabi confirms Netanyahu’s secret visit for the first time: Strengthening ties with Israel discussed

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, has confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret visit to Abu Dhabi.

The confirmation was made public through the UAE’s state news agency and represents Abu Dhabi’s first official announcement regarding Netanyahu’s trip.

According to the agency, the meeting addressed bilateral relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, as well as opportunities to strengthen and further develop them. The announcement confirmed earlier reports by Israeli media.

Meanwhile, in Israel, the domestic security service Shin Bet has filed a complaint against the television channel that made the prime minister’s unannounced visit public on Sunday.

The Prime Minister’s Office said that Shin Bet had officially approached the head of the military censor, requesting the prosecution of Channel 12 for serious violations of military censorship rules.

On Sunday, Channel 12 and other Israeli media outlets reported that Netanyahu had made an unexpected trip to Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, the Haaretz newspaper had written in the days before the visit that the United Arab Emirates had informed Netanyahu, shortly before the October 7, 2023 attacks, that Hamas was preparing an operation against Israel, but that this information had not been passed on to the security services.

Netanyahu has denied these claims, saying that he had not received such a warning. Israeli media reported that the purpose of the trip was to ask Mohammed bin Zayed to publicly reject the claim that he had informed the prime minister in 2023.

The Prime Minister’s Office said that publishing the news of the visit had endangered the lives of Netanyahu, his wife and members of the delegation, including the head of Mossad. According to the statement, the news was made public at a time when the prime minister’s aircraft was “outside Israeli airspace.”