President Isaac Herzog issued a sharp denial Wednesday, saying his conversations with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed in the months before the Hamas attack 'did not at all' deal with security matters, Hamas, or Yahya Sinwar. The statement comes in response to a Haaretz investigation that alleged Herzog received a parallel warning from the UAE.
President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday issued a categorical denial that he received any warning from the United Arab Emirates ahead of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in pushing back against a Haaretz investigation. In a statement quoted by Israeli media, Herzog said his conversations with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed in the months before the massacre "did not at all deal with security matters, Hamas, or Yahya Sinwar," and that he had no knowledge of any alleged warning. The denial directly responds to the Haaretz report published Tuesday that claimed Herzog was among Israeli officials who received advance notice from the UAE.
The Haaretz investigation, published Tuesday, September 8 at 09:04 Jerusalem time, alleged that both Netanyahu and Herzog received warnings from bin Zayed. The Prime Minister's Office immediately dismissed the report as an "absolute lie" (Tuesday 09:04 Jerusalem). Netanyahu later instructed his lawyers to file a defamation suit, citing a review of call logs (Tuesday 09:04). A senior source in Netanyahu's circle stated the last call between the two leaders was in early 2023 (Tuesday 09:04). UAE sources declined to confirm or deny the reports Tuesday evening at 19:57 Jerusalem. Earlier Wednesday morning at 09:18 Jerusalem, i24NEWS reported that the Biden administration was unaware of any concrete UAE warning. The Zioneer also noted Wednesday at 12:32 Jerusalem that the Prime Minister's Office continued to insist Netanyahu did not speak with bin Zayed before the attack, with Haaretz standing behind its publication.
As The Zioneer reported, Haaretz has stood by its investigation, and UAE officials have maintained silence on "personal conversations" of the president. The Biden administration's lack of awareness of any concrete warning has been independently reported. The claims remain unconfirmed by external sources, and both the Prime Minister's Office and now the President's office have issued firm denials.
The question of what Israeli leaders knew before the Oct. 7 attack remains a subject of intense political debate. The Haaretz investigation has not been independently corroborated, and the allegations continue to be disputed by the highest levels of Israeli leadership.
7 developments
- StrongPresident Herzog spoke with King of Bahrain on Sunday, says king initiated call
- DevelopingHerzog: No Deals with Iran, Not Surprised by Renewed Attacks
- DevelopingPresident Herzog meets Shin Bet chief, election head; warns elections are not a civil war
- DevelopingPresident Herzog asked AG to drop yeshiva student arrests, use economic sanctions, Channel 12 reports
Source and signal
- Open-source intake