Netanyahu's Secret UAE Visit Exposed; Security Agency Files Complaint

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, September 27, 2026, to meet with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to Israeli media reports confirmed by multiple sources. The meeting, which lasted approximately one hour, focused primarily on Iran—a shared strategic concern between the two countries. Netanyahu's office acknowledged the trip only after Israeli media, particularly Channel 12, disclosed it, marking the government's first official recognition despite not initially naming the destination.

The timing and purpose of the visit suggest a diplomatic effort to manage a political crisis in Israel. According to multiple sources briefed on the meeting, Netanyahu sought to persuade Sheikh Mohamed to deny reports published by the Israeli daily Haaretz claiming that the Emirati leader had warned Netanyahu about a looming Hamas attack days before the October 7, 2023 operation. Netanyahu's office has repeatedly denied receiving any such warning and has characterized the reports as "fabricated lies" aimed at damaging him electorally. The UAE's Foreign Ministry has declined to confirm or deny the warning claim, instead stating it maintains "open and direct lines of communication" with Israel and shares "all relevant intelligence."

The disclosure of Netanyahu's trip prompted a sharp security response. Israel's domestic security agency, Shin Bet, filed a formal complaint with the Chief Military Censor demanding prosecution of Channel 12 "to the fullest extent of the law" for what it described as a "severe censorship violation." Netanyahu's office stated that the premature publication endangered the lives of the prime minister, his wife, the delegation including Mossad's head, and other top security officials—particularly because the report was made public while the prime minister's plane was still outside Israeli airspace. Mossad similarly condemned the disclosure.

The visit occurs one month before Israel's October 27 election, a context Netanyahu's rivals have seized upon to renew criticism of his pre-October 7 leadership. Opposition figures, including polling leader Gadi Eizenkot, have used the reported warnings from foreign leaders as evidence of failures in threat assessment and intelligence handling. In May 2026, Netanyahu's office claimed the prime minister had made a previous secret visit to the UAE in March during the early days of the Iran war, which the UAE's Foreign Ministry denied as "completely unfounded."

Israel and the UAE formally established diplomatic relations in 2020 under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. During the current Iran war, security cooperation between the two countries has reportedly reached unprecedented levels, including Israeli deployment of an Iron Dome missile defense system to the UAE. Netanyahu has never made a publicly acknowledged official visit to the UAE.