State media in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) confirmed on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret trip to Abu Dhabi on Sunday afternoon and met with Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, commonly known by his initials MBZ.
Confirmation of Netanhayu’s visit came from Emirati state news agency WAM and was quickly corroborated by the office of the Israeli prime minister, which said Netanyahu was invited to Abu Dhabi by MBZ for talks on “strengthening relations between the two countries” and facing “regional challenges” together.
Netanyahu’s office said he was accompanied on his trip by his wife Sara, his military secretary and foreign policy adviser, and the heads of the Israeli National Security Council and Mossad intelligence service.
“Three senior Israeli officials said the meeting on Sunday lasted six hours and focused on Iran,” the Jerusalem Post reported.
The Jerusalem Post quoted Emirati officials who said Netanyahu brought “particularly heavy” pressure to bear against MBZ to arrange the meeting, including “hints concerning future security cooperation” as an incentive. The visit was originally supposed to take place late last week, but MBZ “reversed course” and backed out at the last minute, for unclear reasons.
Sources in Israel told the Associated Press (AP) that a major reason Netanyahu met with MBZ was to ask the Emirati leader to deny media reports that he gave Netanyahu a heads-up about the October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas. The Office of the Israeli Prime Minister denied the report, which could be damaging to Netanyahu’s re-election effort, as “fake news.”
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu did raise the subject of debunking the October 7 heads-up story, but MBZ refused to issue a firm denial because he did not wish to become involved with Israeli politics.
“MBZ does not want to take part in Netanyahu’s campaign. Relations between the two have been strained for some time,” an Emirati source said.
The AP reported that Netanyahu also met with other regional leaders in Abu Dhabi, possibly including representatives from Libya, Morocco, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, as planes from all of those countries landed in Abu Dhabi at the same time as the Israeli prime minister.
Another Israeli media outlet, Channel 14, reported on Tuesday that Netanyahu and the other regional leaders who met in Abu Dhabi on Sunday discussed “establishing a regional framework for protection against shared threats,” including Iranian proxies like the Houthi insurgents of Yemen, who have been fighting with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia asked for help with the Houthis, and Netanyahu “did not reject the request.”
Israel’s Ynet News claimed that “Mossad chief Roman Goffman arranged the meeting after Saudi Arabia requested Israeli assistance against Houthi attacks in the Red Sea region.”
According to Channel 14, Netanyahu urged MBZ and the other leaders to maintain economic pressure on Tehran and prepare for last-gasp Iranian attacks, possibly including missile or drone strikes against water desalination plants and other critical infrastructure. The Iranians ostensibly responded to the Abu Dhabi meeting by threatening to attack countries that work with Israel.