The United Arab Emirates on Monday confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Gulf country on Sunday, saying his meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan focused on bilateral relations. Israeli officials, meanwhile, said the talks also focused on Iran.The UAE’s state news agency WAM reported that Sheikh Mohamed and Netanyahu discussed bilateral relations during the visit. It was the first official confirmation from Abu Dhabi of Netanyahu’s trip.Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister had travelled to the UAE at the invitation of Sheikh Mohamed. The visit “focused on strengthening relations between the two countries and on regional challenges”, his office said.Three senior Israeli officials told Reuters that the meeting lasted six hours and focused on Iran, according to the report. Earlier accounts had described the meeting as lasting about an hour.The visit was first reported by Israel’s Channel 12 television station. Two people briefed on the trip confirmed that Netanyahu met Sheikh Mohamed on Sunday.One person familiar with the meeting told news agency AP that Netanyahu asked the Emirati president to deny a recent report in Haaretz alleging that Sheikh Mohamed had warned Israel about a looming Hamas attack shortly before the October 7, 2023, assault. Netanyahu’s office had previously denied the Haaretz report.The UAE had earlier denied a meeting between the two leaders after Netanyahu’s office said in May that he had “secretly visited” the country. A source familiar with that meeting said at the time that Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohamed met in Al-Ain on March 26.Late Monday, the UAE said the latest meeting covered bilateral relations “and ways to strengthen and develop them”. Netanyahu’s office said it focused “solely on strengthening relations” and denied that he asked Sheikh Mohamed to address the Haaretz report.Netanyahu’s office also said the Shin Bet had filed a complaint against Channel 12, alleging a violation of censorship rules over its report before Netanyahu returned to Israel. The latest visit is expected to keep Iran and regional security high on the agenda of UAE-Israel engagement.
