Netanyahu denies UAE warning report, calls it election-timed libel
Benjamin NetanyahuPrime minister of Israel and Likud leader
Netanyahu personally renewed the denial and characterized the report as election-timed political libel.
Responding to
No call between Netanyahu and Mohammed bin Zayed occurred during the relevant period, and Netanyahu received no UAE warning before October 7.
“This is a sinister libel with clear political timing.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Was Netanyahu warned by the UAE about a major Hamas operation before October 7?
Haaretz reported on September 8, 2026 that United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Benjamin Netanyahu by phone, about ten days before October 7, 2023, that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation. Netanyahu and his office deny that the call or a warning occurred. On September 25, 2026 The New York Times reported that two unnamed people, one who said they had spoken with Sheikh Mohammed and one who said they were briefed by someone on the call, said he alerted Netanyahu that Hamas was considering a major attack. Citing five unnamed former senior Israeli officials, the Times reported that the warning never reached the heads of Israel's security establishment, and, citing minutes it reviewed, that Netanyahu did not mention it at an October 1, 2023 meeting with security chiefs. One of the Times' sources said the information was not specific about the nature of the attack, and the minutes are not public. Reporter Shlomi Eldar says he has documents, records and confidential-source evidence for the Haaretz account, none of which has been made public. Naftali Bennett says he knows the report is true, and other opposition leaders demand an investigation. The UAE government has declined to confirm or deny the alleged conversation. As of September 25, 2026, we could not locate a public response from Netanyahu's office to the Times report.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Reports Netanyahu’s renewed denial, claimed review of call and visitor records, planned libel action, blame directed toward security chiefs, and Haaretz’s statement that it stands by its report.
Before the quotation
The Prime Minister’s Office had already issued a categorical denial on September 8.
After the quotation
Netanyahu said he had instructed lawyers to pursue a libel case and redirected responsibility toward security chiefs who did not alert him hours before the attack.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
He disputes the report’s truth and provenance. The statement is not coded as a defense of his alleged conduct because he denies the underlying event.
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- People and groups discussed
- Haaretz
More from this case
Read the full caseSegal argues Eldar and Yuval would have backed the same policy even if the report is true
“And suppose there was a long phone call between the Emirati leader and Netanyahu. And suppose even that a warning was delivered, and that it was very specific. Suppose the entire report by Shlomi Eldar and Ruti Yuval is true ... If Netanyahu had told the cabinet about the call with the Emirati ruler, and if Shlomi Eldar and Ruti Yuval had been ministers, they would have proposed one thing: economic benefits, and under no circumstances assassinations. ... When you scrape away the many anonymous sources, you find that the entire book rests on two shaky sources, two aging senior Fatah officials ... And so, responsibility for the tragedy lies entirely with the decision-makers, but Eldar and Yuval are not exempt from serious soul-searching. (Translated from Hebrew. Original: ונניח שהיתה שיחת טלפון ממושכת בין מנהיג האמירויות לנתניהו. ונניח אפילו שנמסרה אזהרה, והיא היתה ספציפית מאוד. נניח שכל הפרסום של שלומי אלדר ורותי יובל נכון ... אם נתניהו היה מספר לקבינט על השיחה עם שליט האמירויות, ואם שלומי אלדר ורותי יובל היו שרים, הם היו מציעים דבר אחד: הטבות כלכליות, ובשום פנים ואופן לא חיסולים. ... כשמגרדים את שלל הגורמים האנונימיים, מגלים שהספר כולו נשען על שני מקורות רעועים, שני בכירי פת״ח מזדקנים ... ולכן, האחריות לטרגדיה מוטלת במלואה על מקבלי ההחלטות, אך אלדר ויובל אינם פטורים מחשבון נפש נוקב.)”Read statement
Beliak says Netanyahu ignored several warnings and calls it unforgivable
“Netanyahu's propaganda machine has spent enormous effort over the past two weeks trying to distance him from the shocking revelation by Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval in Haaretz. This evening The New York Times is also publishing a comprehensive investigation on the subject. Netanyahu was warned by a number of sources in Israel and abroad, Netanyahu ignored it - 1,200 Israelis were murdered and killed on October 7, 2023. Unforgivable. (Translated from Hebrew. Original: מכונת התעמולה של נתניהו השקיעה בשבועיים האחרונים מאמצים כבירים, על מנת להרחיק אותו מהחשיפה המטלטלת של שלומי אלדר ורות יובל בהארץ. הערב גם ניו יורק טיימס מפרסם תחקיר מקיף בנושא. נתניהו הוזהר על ידי מספר גורמים בארץ ובחו״ל, נתניהו התעלם - 1,200 ישראלים נרצחו ונהרגו ב-7 באוקטובר 2023. בלתי נסלח.)”Read statement
President Herzog says his talk with the UAE president was separate from whether Netanyahu was warned
“The article mentioned that the president of the Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, known as MBZ, spoke with me and expressed concern about the situation. And it was important to me to explain that this is outside the context of any warning that may or may not have been given to the prime minister, which is, after all, the heart of the dispute ... He spoke with me explicitly, several months before October 7, about the legal dispute that is tearing Israeli society apart, at the height of the protests and demonstrations (Translated from Hebrew. Original: בתוך המאמר הוזכר שנשיא האמירויות, שייח' מוחמד בן זאיד, המכונה MBZ, שוחח איתי והביע דאגה על המצב. והיה לי חשוב להסביר שזה מחוץ לקונטקסט של התרעה כלשהי שאולי ניתנה לראש הממשלה ואולי לא, שזה הרי לב הוויכוח ... הוא דיבר איתי כמה חודשים לפני 7.10 בצורה מפורשת על הוויכוח המשפטי שקורע את החברה הישראלית, בתקופת שיא המחאות וההפגנות)”Read statement
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- Netanyahu denies UAE warning report, calls it election-timed libel
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The Dispute Index. "Netanyahu denies UAE warning report, calls it election-timed libel". First published: 2026-09-09. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/171-netanyahu-personally-renewed-the-denial-and-characterized-the