Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli Prime Minister secretly visited the United Arab Emirates during the Israel-Iran war, but the UAE has publicly denied the claim, creating a rare disagreement between the two countries.
According to Netanyahu’s office, the Israeli prime minister met UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in talks that allegedly resulted in a “historic breakthrough” in relations between Israel and the Gulf nation.
"In the midst of Operation Roaring Lion, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates, where he met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. This visit has led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the UAE," an official statement on Israeli PM office read.
The statement came shortly after US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee revealed that Israel had deployed Iron Dome air-defense systems and personnel to the UAE during the conflict with Iran. The deployment highlighted the growing security ties between Israel and the Emirates following the 2020 Abraham Accords.
The UAE, however, strongly rejected the Israeli claims.
In a statement carried by state news agency WAM, the UAE said it “denies what is being circulated regarding a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the country, or the reception of any Israeli military delegation on its territory.”
The statement added that relations between the UAE and Israel are public and based on the Abraham Accords, “not secrecy or clandestine arrangements.”
“Any claims regarding undisclosed visits or arrangements are baseless unless issued by the relevant official authorities in the UAE,” the statement said, while also urging media organizations not to spread undocumented information.
UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs later published a statement on X.
Despite the denial, relations between Israel and the UAE have grown significantly since normalization in 2020. Israeli leaders have made occasional visits to the Emirates in recent years, while Iran has repeatedly accused Israel of maintaining military and intelligence operations inside the Gulf state.
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