Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with representatives of Gulf countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, including Saudi Arabia, during his visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), sources familiar with the details said on Monday. Representatives from Morocco, Libya, Jordan and Qatar also apparently attended.
The meeting was arranged by Mossad chief Roman Goffman following a Saudi request for Israeli assistance against Houthi attacks in the Red Sea region. UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed agreed to host the talks. The ranks of the other countries’ representatives remain unclear.
UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: Shutterstock, AP, Shilo Shalom)
The talks focused on Iran and curbing its proxy in the Middle East, with an emphasis on the Houthis. The representatives also heard from the Israeli side about Israel’s willingness to assist countries in the region with air defense systems — just as it helped the UAE during the war with Iran.The official statement did not deny that a conversation took place between Netanyahu and bin Zayed before October 7, in which the latter warned the prime minister of a Hamas attack. The Emiratis did not release a photo from Netanyahu’s meeting with bin Zayed, but this marks the first time a Netanyahu visit has received official confirmation from the Emirati side. In 2022, then-prime minister Naftali Bennett visited the UAE, and the Emiratis released numerous photos from the meeting.
After the Emirati statement, the Prime Minister’s Office issued its own confirmation of the meeting. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife visited the United Arab Emirates yesterday at the invitation of the UAE President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed,” it said. “The visit focused on strengthening relations between the two countries and on regional challenges. The Prime Minister was accompanied by the head of the National Security Council, the head of the Mossad, the military secretary and the foreign policy adviser.”
The Associated Press, one of the world’s largest news agencies, reported that during the meeting Netanyahu asked bin Zayed to deny reports that he had warned him before October 7. AP said its report was based on a person with firsthand knowledge of the meeting. No such denial appeared in the official Emirati statement.
The Prime Minister’s Office denied the AP report, saying: “Fake news. The visit focused solely on strengthening relations between the two countries and on regional challenges.”
Then-prime minister Naftali Bennett visits the UAE in 2022
Shortly before the Emirati announcement, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement confirming Netanyahu’s visit to the Gulf state. For the first time, the office published a list of those who took part in the visit. In addition to Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, the delegation included the Mossad chief, the head of the National Security Council, military secretary Maj. Gen. Guy Markizano, the head of the Shin Bet’s security division, the flight crew and the security team.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Channel 12’s report “put their lives at risk.”
The Prime Minister’s Office also said that the Shin Bet had filed a complaint with the chief military censor demanding that Channel 12 “be held fully accountable over a serious censorship violation.”
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the violation involved reporting the trip to the United Arab Emirates before Netanyahu’s plane had landed back in Israel.
In an unusual and unprecedented move, the statement also quoted the Shin Bet and Mossad — headed by David Zini and Roman Gofman, respectively, both appointed by Netanyahu — sharply criticizing an Israeli media outlet.
First published: 22:57, 09.28.26