From October 7 to Iran: What was behind Netanyahu’s Abu Dhabi visit?

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent four hours meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, reportedly seeking to persuade Abu Dhabi to issue a statement denying or downplaying reports that the UAE leader had personally warned him of a major Hamas operation against Israel before the October 7 attack.

According to reports from Israel, Netanyahu exerted considerable pressure to secure the meeting, including proposing future security cooperation between the two countries.

Shortly before Netanyahu's plane was due to depart the United States for the UAE, he reportedly received a call informing him that the visit had been canceled because the UAE president was out of the country. 

However, the meeting eventually went ahead following further pressure from Netanyahu.

The UAE's response to his request remains pending. Any decision could have implications for Netanyahu ahead of Israel's elections, as his polling numbers have declined sharply since reports emerged alleging that he had prior knowledge of the October 7 attack.

Beyond the controversy, the Abu Dhabi talks addressed the situation in Gaza and the UAE's efforts to secure a resolution, as well as developments involving Iran.

According to sources familiar with the discussions, the UAE told Israel it wanted to avoid further escalation and another war involving Iran.

Sources familiar with the negotiations said it remains unclear whether Abu Dhabi will agree to Netanyahu's request, as the UAE president does not want to become involved in Israel's election campaign.