Key facts
- Haaretz reported that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a potential Hamas attack before October 7.
- The report claims Netanyahu did not inform the military or Shin Bet security agency of the warning.
- Netanyahu denied the report, stating his records do not show a conversation with the Emirati president.
- Haaretz newspaper stated it stands by its reporting.
- Opposition leaders Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett criticized Netanyahu, stating he bears responsibility for security failures.
- Netanyahu has ordered his lawyers to take legal action against Haaretz and other individuals.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced his intention to take legal action against the Haaretz newspaper, journalist Shlomi Eldar, and other individuals following a report alleging that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Netanyahu of an impending Hamas attack before October 7. The report, excerpted from a forthcoming book by Haaretz reporters, claims Netanyahu failed to inform the military and the Shin Bet security agency of this warning.
Netanyahu has vehemently denied the report, stating that his call logs and records from the period do not indicate any conversation with the Emirati president. Haaretz, however, has affirmed its commitment to its reporting.
Following the report, Israeli opposition leaders have intensified their criticism of Netanyahu. Gadi Eisenkot, a prominent rival, accused the prime minister of evading responsibility and resorting to "pathetic" excuses, asserting that Netanyahu received numerous warnings for October 7 and ignored them all. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett echoed these sentiments, stating that Netanyahu bears personal and direct responsibility for the failures leading to the deaths on October 7. Yair Lapid also claimed that he and others, including Egyptians and the Shin Bet, had attempted to warn Netanyahu of Hamas's threat.
The UAE normalized ties with Israel in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords, and Netanyahu views close relations with the UAE as a significant achievement. The Haaretz report, citing anonymous sources, suggests that Netanyahu had previously sought to maintain the status quo with Hamas, which was understood to be more focused on self-preservation than initiating a large-scale conflict with Israel.
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