"Bin Zayed is not at home": The UAE canceled at the last moment – Netanyahu pressured until the visit went ahead

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United Arab Emirates last night and met with President Mohammed bin Zayed, but the visit was nearly canceled at the last moment. Netanyahu exerted heavy pressure on the UAE to hold the visit before the elections, including phone calls, activating associates, and hints of future security cooperation. The UAE did not issue an official announcement about the visit.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United Arab Emirates last night (Sunday) and met with President Mohammed bin Zayed, but the visit was nearly canceled at the last moment. Netanyahu exerted heavy pressure on the UAE to hold the visit before the elections. Emirati sources described the pressure as "particularly heavy," including phone calls, activating associates and international figures, and even hints regarding future security cooperation. Netanyahu's pressure also stems from reports that Mohammed bin Zayed called him shortly before October 7 and gave him an explicit warning of an "earthquake" in Gaza. A source close to the matter told Maariv that the unofficial denial statement published in the UAE may have been intended to compensate Netanyahu for the cancellation of the visit. According to him, bin Zayed does not want to take part in Netanyahu's campaign, and relations between the two are strained. As of now, no official announcement has been published by the UAE about the visit, and the major media outlets in the country have not yet reported on it.