Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed told him personally that he did not update Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and did not warn him ahead of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, according to The Zioneer. Bennett's statement backs the official Emirati denial that bin Zayed conveyed a warning to Netanyahu.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed told him personally that he did not warn Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Bennett's statement, reported by The Zioneer, aligns with the official Emirati denial issued Saturday evening, in which a senior UAE official told state-aligned outlet The National that "the UAE discusses security matters with other countries through the relevant bodies, and does not discuss such details at the leadership level."
Bennett's account adds a first-person corroboration to the UAE's position. However, his statement does not directly address whether a call between bin Zayed and Netanyahu took place — the Emirati denial said it did not — but rather confirms that bin Zayed told Bennett he did not issue a warning to Netanyahu.
The Haaretz investigation published earlier this month alleged that bin Zayed called Netanyahu ten days before the attack and warned of a planned Hamas operation. The Prime Minister's Office called the report an "absolute lie." Bennett has previously said the report was "true," but his latest remarks specifically back the Emirati denial, not the Haaretz account.
2 developments
- StrongAP: Netanyahu Asked UAE President to Deny Pre-Oct. 7 Warning During Secret Visit
- ConfirmedBiden administration was unaware of a concrete UAE warning before Oct. 7, i24NEWS reports
- DevelopingNYT reports Netanyahu received 'non-specific' warning before Oct. 7, did not share with security chiefs
- StrongLapid: If Netanyahu had done his job, Oct. 7 massacre would have been prevented
Source and signal
- Open-source intake