DOMINANT ANGLE
Paris is deciphering a revealing secret visit that highlights diplomatic unease between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi, against a backdrop of accusations surrounding October 7.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Mohammed Ben Zayed received Netanyahu on Sunday, September 27, a meeting confirmed by both countries on Monday, September 28
- 02
According to Israeli media, Netanyahu is said to have traveled to the Emirates to ask Ben Zayed to deny having warned him of a Hamas operation before October 7, 2023
- 03
The Shin Bet filed a complaint against a television channel that revealed the unannounced visit, even before its official confirmation
ANALYSIS
Paris, September 29, 2026. Confirmed on Monday, September 28, by Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi, the meeting between Mohammed Ben Zayed and Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, September 27, is significant: it comes amid controversy over what the Emirates knew before October 7, 2023. According to revelations published in early September, Abu Dhabi allegedly warned the Israeli prime minister of a possible Hamas operation shortly before the attacks, a warning that Netanyahu allegedly did not pass on to his security services. The Israeli prime minister denies "the existence of such a warning." The Emirates, for their part, have limited themselves to stating that they "do not comment on information published in the press or speculation about conversations between leaders."
According to several Israeli media outlets, Netanyahu allegedly traveled to Abu Dhabi to ask Mohammed Ben Zayed to publicly deny having issued this warning in 2023 — a request that neither Jerusalem nor Abu Dhabi has confirmed. Their statements, on the contrary, remain cautiously diplomatic: the WAM agency reports that "the two parties discussed bilateral relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, as well as ways to strengthen and develop them," while the Israeli prime minister's office assures that "the visit focused on strengthening relations between the two countries and regional challenges."
Another sign of tension was revealed on the same day: even before the official confirmation of the trip, the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service, filed a complaint against a television channel that revealed this unannounced visit. The fact that a diplomatic trip of this nature required such a high level of discretion, before being confirmed in a low-key manner by the two capitals, highlights the fragility of the moment in the Israeli-Emirati relationship, forged under the Abraham Accords.
This climate is set against a tight electoral calendar: a poll cited by France 24 places the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party neck and neck with Netanyahu's coalition, one month before the October 27 election, with the four main opposition parties having committed to uniting their forces.
