Netanyahu Met Officials from Saudi Arabia, Qatar During UAE Visit
Israeli PM held expanded session with representatives from countries without Israel ties, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an expanded meeting with senior officials from several Middle Eastern countries, including several that don't have ties with israel, during a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, according to Israeli public broadcaster Kan.
The meeting included representatives from Gulf countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, including Saudi Arabia, as well as representatives from Morocco, Libya, Jordan and Qatar, according to sources familiar with the details cited by Ynet.
Iran-Focused Talks in Abu Dhabi
Among the planes that landed in Abu Dhabi at the same time as Netanyahu's visit were a government plane from Libya, a Hercules aircraft from Morocco, a military plane from Qatar and an Emirati government plane that came from Riyadh, Kan reported, in information cleared by Israel's military censor.
The expanded session was held to discuss regional cooperation against Iran, according to Kan. The talks focused on Iran and curbing its proxy in the Middle East, with an emphasis on the Houthis, Ynet reported.
The meeting was prepared by Mossad chief Roman Goffman, and it took place following a request from Saudi Arabia asking Israel for assistance against the Houthi attack in the Red Sea region, according to sources cited by Ynet.
Air Defense Cooperation Discussed
The representatives also heard from the Israeli side about Israel's willingness to assist countries in the region with air defense systems - just as it helped the UAE during the war in Iran, Ynet reported.
Senior representatives of at least two additional Gulf states that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel took part in the meeting, with Iran as the central focus and participants discussing various scenarios for the near future, two Gulf diplomatic officials confirmed to Israel Hayom.
The sides also addressed diplomatic and security coordination and defenses against the Houthi threat, and the meeting was held with the knowledge and approval of the US administration in Washington, according to the officials.
Netanyahu's Meeting with UAE President
Netanyahu visited the United Arab Emirates on Sunday and met with the country's president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, both countries confirmed on Monday.
WAM, the state news agency of the UAE, confirmed that Sheikh Mohammed and Netanyahu held a meeting in the country on Sunday, and the two leaders "discussed bilateral relations between the UAE and Israel and ways to strengthen and further develop them".
Three senior Israeli officials said the meeting on Sunday lasted six hours and focused on Iran, according to Reuters.
Context: Pre-October 7 Warning Controversy
The visit came a month before Israeli elections and amid controversy over reports alleging that Bin Zayed, known as MBZ, had warned Netanyahu that a major Hamas operation was likely just ahead of the attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on September 9 that the UAE president spoke to Netanyahu on the phone about 10 days before the attack, warning him of a threat made by then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar that he was preparing a "huge surprise".
Netanyahu traveled secretly to the United Arab Emirates over the weekend to ask its leader to deny reports he'd warned the Israeli prime minister about a looming Hamas threat ahead of the Palestinian militant group's Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, according to the Washington Times, citing two people briefed on the trip.
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