Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed his lawyers to file a defamation lawsuit against the left-wing daily Haaretz, journalist Shlomi Eldar, and others over reports that Netanyahu received and concealed a warning from the UAE president before the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, his office said Wednesday. The PM's office stated that a thorough review of the Prime Minister's call logs and entry records found no evidence of any such call, calling the report a 'malicious libel' with clear political timing. Netanyahu also claimed that Eldar lied when he said Egypt had warned him, a claim his office said was disproven early in the war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced on Wednesday that he has instructed his lawyers to file a defamation lawsuit against the left-wing daily Haaretz, journalist Shlomi Eldar, and others for allegedly publishing a false story that Netanyahu received and concealed a warning from UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed about the planned Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
The statement, released Wednesday morning, said a thorough review of the Prime Minister's call logs and entry records for the period from the start of September until October 7 found no record of any call with the UAE president. The PM's office noted that all diplomatic calls with the UAE president are conducted in the Prime Minister's office using a special encrypted device brought by an Emirati representative, and all such calls are documented. The office stated that no entry of an Emirati representative was found in the security logs.
Netanyahu also claimed that Eldar lied when he said Egypt had warned the Prime Minister of an attack, a claim the PM's office said was disproven early in the war.
The announcement comes after weeks of controversy following a Haaretz investigation published earlier this month, which alleged that Netanyahu received a warning from MBZ approximately ten days before the attack and did not share it with security chiefs. The PM's office immediately denied the report, calling it an 'absolute lie.' UAE sources later declined to confirm or deny the report. The broader political fallout has included accusations by Netanyahu that defense officials deliberately withheld information from him on the morning of October 7, a claim also disputed by multiple reports, as the Zioneer has covered.
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