Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed he made a secret trip to the United Arab Emirates at the height of the Iran war to meet President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Israeli prime minister's office described the talks as a 'historic breakthrough' in relations between Israel and the UAE, according to a statement released on Wednesday night.
Details of the Alleged Visit
Reuters reported that the two leaders met for several hours in Al Ain, an oasis city near the Oman border, on 26 March. A source told the news agency that Mossad Director David Barnea made at least two visits to the UAE during the war with Iran to coordinate military actions. The intelligence chief's visit was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
If confirmed, the visit would mark the latest milestone in a rapidly developing Middle East alliance. On Tuesday, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee disclosed that Israel had shared its air defence system with the UAE, sending Iron Dome batteries and military specialists to operate them during the war. 'There's an extraordinary relationship between the UAE and Israel,' Huckabee said.
UAE Denial and Independent Foreign Policy
However, the United Arab Emirates' foreign ministry rejected the reports of Netanyahu's visit, calling them 'baseless'. The ministry did not provide further details. The UAE has increasingly sought to chart an independent foreign policy course from its larger neighbour, Saudi Arabia. At the beginning of the month, the UAE left the Saudi-led oil cartel OPEC, severely weakening the organisation's clout in global markets.
It was also reported that the UAE secretly carried out its own strikes on Iran, including an attack on a refinery on Lavan Island in early April, in retaliation for Iranian attacks on its oil facilities, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Background of Israel-UAE Relations
In 2020, the UAE became the first Islamic country to agree to normalise relations with Israel, followed by Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan in what were described as the 'Abraham Accords'. The UAE has gone much further than the other signatories in tightening the relationship into a de facto alliance.
Israel and the UAE have close ties with the Trump administration, deepened by their involvement in the Iran war. However, both are vulnerable to changes in US policy and administration. They face intense scrutiny over allegations of war crimes: Israel has been accused of genocide in Gaza, with arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. The UAE is widely believed to be arming and funding the Rapid Support Forces, accused of mass atrocities in Sudan, though the government denies the allegations despite considerable evidence.
