The acknowledgment follows an initial official denial from the UAE and reporting from the Associated Press that the trip's primary purpose was a request for the UAE to refute claims it warned Israel of the October 7 Hamas attack. A Haaretz investigation alleged that bin Zayed called Netanyahu about 10 days before the strike to warn of a planned "earthquake." While Netanyahu has called these reports an "absolute lie" and is pursuing legal action against the newspaper, flight tracking data showed he remained on the ground in Abu Dhabi for roughly 4 hours.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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UAE Confirms Netanyahu's Secret Visit to Abu Dhabi and Reverses Denial
Geopolitics22 days ago
The Israeli prime minister flew to the Emirates on September 27 to hold talks with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as officially acknowledged by the state news agency on Monday. The Emirates News Agency reported that the leaders discussed methods to strengthen and develop bilateral relations, a meeting that also included the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency. The confirmation came 24 hours after the visit, during which Benjamin Netanyahu arrived via private jet and spent several hours in the capital.
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