Netanyahu Secretly Visits UAE, Meets President

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates the previous day and met with the leadership of the Gulf state.  Reuters reported, citing a senior Israeli official, that Netanyahu traveled to the UAE and met with Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. Neither Netanyahu’s office nor the UAE Foreign Ministry immediately commented on the report.  The reported visit came after Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported earlier this month that Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu approximately a week and a half before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that Hamas was planning a major operation against Israel. According to the newspaper, the information was not passed on to Israeli intelligence agencies or the military.

The New York Times also reported on the matter, while Netanyahu has denied the reports and threatened legal action against Haaretz. According to Reuters, Netanyahu is facing a difficult election campaign, while opposition leaders have blamed him for security failures ahead of the October 7 Hamas attack.  Reuters said the UAE has declined to comment on the Haaretz report. Emirati officials, however, have said that direct communication between the UAE and Israel has continued since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2020. Reuters previously quoted an Emirati source as saying that the UAE discusses security matters with other countries through relevant institutions, but such issues are not discussed at the level of national leaders.

Reports of a meeting between Netanyahu and the Emirati president also emerged earlier this year, but the UAE denied that such a meeting had taken place. In May, Netanyahu’s office said that the Israeli prime minister had secretly visited the Gulf country and met with its president. The UAE Foreign Ministry subsequently stated that all claims regarding a secret or undeclared visit by the Israeli prime minister and the arrival of an Israeli military delegation in the country were unfounded.  According to Reuters, a source familiar with the meeting said at the time that Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohamed had met on March 26 in Al Ain, an oasis city near the border with Oman. Israeli media also reported that Mossad chief David Barnea had visited the UAE at least twice during the war. The UAE has strongly denied these reports.

After the UAE came under attack during the war with Iran, it further strengthened its relations with the United States and Israel. In September 2020, the UAE signed the Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States, to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. It was a significant agreement to normalize relations between an Arab country and Israel, following the 1994 peace treaty between Israel and Jordan. Bahrain and other countries later also established relations with Israel.  High-level contacts between the UAE and Israel have been reported in the past, although details of some meetings were not officially disclosed. Netanyahu’s latest reported visit comes against the backdrop of significant changes in the security situation in the Middle East involving Iran, Israel, the United States and Gulf countries.

Israel has announced that it is revoking the diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats representing the Netherlands to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. According to Reuters, Israel said on Sunday that it had revoked the diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats representing the Netherlands in Ramallah. The move came in response to Dutch sanctions against illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the Dutch diplomats working in Ramallah would have seven days to return their diplomatic documents, after which their diplomatic privileges and immunities would be terminated. Earlier this month, Israel also ordered the closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, which serves as the United Kingdom’s representative to the Palestinian Authority. That decision followed London’s announcement of sanctions, including restrictions on imports of goods from Israeli settlements, as well as other similar measures.

Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said on Monday that he regretted what he described as an “unnecessary” decision and that the Netherlands was considering its response. In a statement, Berendsen said, “Our temporary sanctions are not aimed at Israel. They are the result of our responsibility to ensure that we do not in any way contribute to the illegal situation of the illegal settlements.” The Netherlands’ ban on imports of goods produced in Israeli settlements came into effect last week.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said, “Any country that adopts a hostile and unilateral approach toward Israel will lose its influence and importance in the region.” In August, Israel also barred Dutch diplomats from entering a U.S.-led coordination center for Gaza, which is based in Israel. The Israeli foreign minister attributed that decision to what he called “anti-Israel actions.” For many years, the Netherlands and several other countries have maintained diplomats who represent their governments to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, while residing in East Jerusalem. Israel has traditionally recognized these diplomats and granted them certain privileges under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. France and Canada also announced this month, alongside the United Kingdom, restrictions on goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements. However, Israel has not taken similar measures against those two countries.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government has faced increasing diplomatic isolation from some of its allies over its policies and military actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Several countries have imposed sanctions on two prominent Israeli cabinet ministers, while Spain, Ireland and other countries have also announced restrictions on products originating from Israeli settlements.