Netanyahu to sue ‘Haaretz’ over claim UAE warned him prior to Oct. 7

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday that he is suing Haaretz newspaper, journalist Shlomi Eldar, and others for defamation. This legal action follows a Haaretz report, citing unnamed foreign sources, claiming that UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan warned Netanyahu about an impending Hamas attack approximately 10 days before October 7, 2023. Netanyahu called the report a “malicious fabrication,” stating that reviews by the Prime Minister’s Office, National Security Council, and military secretariat found no record of such a conversation between early September and October 7. He also noted that entry records showed no visit by an Emirati representative who would have been required to facilitate such a call. The UAE Foreign Ministry declined to confirm or deny the alleged conversation, stating, “The UAE government does not comment on media stories or speculation regarding conversations between government leaders.”