Netanyahu Faces Backlash Over UAE Warning Report
Goldlaner.com – With Israeli parliamentary elections fewer than sixty days away, Netanyahu faces backlash over report that the UAE president phoned him roughly ten days before the October 7 Hamas assault to warn of an imminent large-scale strike. The allegation, drawn from research for an upcoming book by Israeli journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruti Yuval, landed on Tuesday and instantly upended the prime minister’s campaign narrative. The Prime Minister’s Office dismissed the account as an “absolute lie,” yet opposition figures moved within hours to demand accountability.
What the Alleged Call Contained
Per the journalists’ findings, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed spent close to forty-five minutes on the line with Netanyahu. During that exchange, the UAE leader relayed intelligence that Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s Gaza chief, was preparing a major operation capable of triggering widespread bloodshed and regional destabilization. The account stated the warning had been funneled through a Palestinian mediator in mid-September 2023, during which Sinwar reportedly described the coming event with the word “earthquake.”
The report characterized Netanyahu’s response as “relatively calm,” with the prime minister allegedly assuring bin Zayed that Israel stood ready for any scenario. If accurate, that framing deepens the question of why no visible operational shift followed a warning of such magnitude.
Opposition Leaders Issue Rare Joint Demand
Four opposition party leaders — Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, and Yair Golan — set aside their usual rivalries to release a single coordinated statement calling for “an immediate and thorough investigation” into what they framed as Netanyahu’s “failures and malfunctioning.”
“The Israeli public is entitled to know: What did Netanyahu know, when did he know, why he didn’t update the security establishment, and why he didn’t act to protect Israeli civilians?”
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett went further on the social platform X, declaring the report “true” and labeling the supposed dismissal of the intelligence “criminal negligence.” His political ally, former prime minister Yair Lapid, noted that he himself had issued public warnings before October 7, as had senior Israeli security officials and Egyptian counterparts.
“If Netanyahu had fulfilled his role, the massacre would have been prevented,” Lapid wrote in a statement.
Abu Dhabi’s Measured Non-Denial
The UAE Foreign Ministry issued a brief statement Tuesday evening, saying it “does not comment on media stories or speculation regarding conversations between government leaders” while stopping short of denying the call ever occurred. It added: “When necessary, all relevant intelligence has been and continues to be communicated between the relevant entities.”
An Israeli source familiar with the matter indicated that Netanyahu’s office had attempted to persuade Abu Dhabi to issue a flat denial. The UAE settled instead on the measured intelligence-sharing language above — a silence many observers read as tacit confirmation. The Prime Minister’s Office, meanwhile, issued a categorical rebuttal, asserting that Netanyahu “did not speak with the president of the United Arab Emirates during the period in question and did not receive any warning from him.”
Accountability Three Years After October 7
The timing is not accidental. October 7 remains the defining trauma of modern Israeli politics: more than 1,200 people were killed and over 250 were dragged into Gaza in what stands as the deadliest single-day attack in the country’s history. Nearly three years later, Netanyahu has outlasted virtually every member of the senior security leadership in place that morning. The defense minister, the chief of staff, and the heads of military intelligence, the Mossad, and the Shin Bet have all departed their posts through resignation, dismissal, or natural term expiry.
Gadi Eisenkot, who currently polls as Netanyahu’s closest challenger, seized on the new account to argue that the prime minister “led Israel blindly” into the catastrophe. He reiterated his campaign pledge to convene a state commission of inquiry should he win the election — a commission demanded repeatedly by bereaved families and survivors since the day after the attack.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the alleged UAE-to-Netanyahu call take place? According to the journalists’ account, the conversation occurred roughly ten days before October 7, 2023, placing it in late September of that year.
Who is behind the report? The findings come from research conducted by Israeli journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruti Yuval for an upcoming book. They have not yet published the full text.
Has the UAE confirmed the call happened? Not explicitly. The UAE Foreign Ministry declined to comment on media stories about conversations between leaders but did not deny the call, instead noting that relevant intelligence continues to be shared between the parties.
What is Netanyahu’s office saying? The Prime Minister’s Office has called the account an “absolute lie” and stated flatly that Netanyahu did not speak with the UAE president during the period in question and received no warning from him.
What do opposition leaders want? Four opposition party leaders jointly demanded an immediate and thorough investigation into what they described as failures in Netanyahu’s handling of pre-October 7 intelligence. Eisenkot has additionally pledged to establish a state commission of inquiry if elected.