By Shirit Avitan Cohen
The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the visit, saying the trip led to a historic breakthrough in ties between Israel and the Gulf state. The UAE Foreign Ministry has denied the claim.
The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that at the height of Operation Roaring Lion, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Iran, where he met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. The Prime Minister’s Office said the visit led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the UAE.
Israel Hayom has learned that only a few people in Netanyahu’s close circle knew about the visit, due to the high security risk involved in traveling so close to Iran in the middle of the war, and for only a few hours.
An Emirati source told Israel Hayom: “Bibi came here because he wanted to show that he does not leave his allies alone. He is proving that he stands by his allies. Even his enemies here admit that.”
However, the UAE Foreign Ministry denied the reports that Netanyahu had visited the country and said they were inaccurate. In an official statement, it said that “relations with Israel are public and were established within the framework of the well-known and declared Abraham Accords.” The UAE stressed that all diplomatic activity is conducted through recognized official channels, and rejected the claims that a secret meeting had taken place during the fighting.
The Prime Minister’s Office statement reveals another aspect of relations between the two countries during the war against Iran. Until now, it appeared that the coordination was only tactical, between the heads of the intelligence agencies, the Mossad and the Shin Bet security agency, as was cleared for publication only earlier Wednesday. But this evening it emerged that the prime minister himself also made the trip to the Emirates.
In addition, The Wall Street Journal reported that the head of the Mossad had visited the UAE twice to coordinate the war against Iran. At the same time, following the report in the US, Kan public broadcaster’s Reshet Bet radio station revealed that Shin Bet chief David Zini had also been in the Emirates.
According to the report, the visits testify to the depth of the increasingly close security partnership between Israel and the UAE. Israel sent Iron Dome batteries and dozens of soldiers to operate them to the UAE, to defend against Iranian missiles and drones. At the same time, the UAE carried out military strikes on Iranian territory, including an attack on a refinery facility on Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf.
