The trip of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United Arab Emirates took place while he had returned just two days earlier from meetings of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The presence of Roman Gofman, head of Mossad, and Shmuel Ben Ezra, National Security Advisor of Israel, on this trip demonstrates the great importance attributed to security and intelligence services.
Reports indicate that the secret and controversial trip of Netanyahu to the United Arab Emirates has provoked strong reactions, as it appears that its primary objective was coordination on security and intelligence matters concerning Iran.
Secret trip
According to reports, Netanyahu traveled secretly on Sunday to Abu Dhabi on a private aircraft rather than the official government plane «Wing of Zion».
A few hours later he returned to Israel without any official announcement being issued.
According to Israeli media, the trip lasted approximately four to six hours and took place at a time when relatively little time remains before the parliamentary elections in Israel.
It is worth noting that certain institutions of the UAE claimed that this visit did not take place at all.
However, Israeli and Western media insist that the trip occurred and that the UAE denied it for security reasons.
Iran: the main topic of talks
According to Israeli Channel 13 and senior officials with knowledge of the matter, the main subject of the conversation between Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, was «the Islamic Republic of Iran and broader regional issues».
An Israeli source familiar with the details of the trip also stated to CNN that Iran was on the agenda of the meeting and that the two sides, Israel and the UAE, have deepened their cooperation during the current war.
The newspaper Jerusalem Post also reported that Iran constituted the primary topic of secret talks between Mohamed bin Zayed and Netanyahu, and that the Israeli Prime Minister exerted «intense pressure» on the Emirati side to hold the meeting before the Israeli elections.
Meanwhile, Israeli Channel 14, which is considered close to Netanyahu, reported that the Israeli Prime Minister traveled to the UAE in the context of a «war for public opinion» and that Iran was among the topics of the meeting.
Two hidden objectives behind the secret trip
Analysts assess that the trip served two key objectives.
The first was coordination on security and intelligence matters regarding Iran, particularly at a time when the probability of a resumption of the war has increased.
The Wall Street Journal had previously reported that Donald Trump, President of the United States, had told associates that he expects the war will resume after the midterm elections of November.
The second objective, which has attracted less attention, was reportedly an effort by Netanyahu to limit the fallout of a domestic political scandal.
The warning regarding Hamas
The newspaper Haaretz had claimed in a report that Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, approximately a week and a half before the attacks of October 7, 2023, had warned Netanyahu by phone that Hamas was preparing a major operation.
Netanyahu categorically denied the report and even threatened Haaretz with legal action.
According to sources, during his trip to Abu Dhabi, Netanyahu asked Mohamed bin Zayed to deny that specific report and cover up the real events unfolding behind the scenes.
The reason is that, if it is proven that such a warning indeed existed and Netanyahu ignored it, a major political scandal could emerge for Bibi, with potential consequences for his political future.
UAE: between denial and confirmation
The stance of the United Arab Emirates regarding this specific trip has been complex and contradictory.
Certain Emirati entities questioned whether the trip took place and denied it.
However, the official news agency of the UAE, WAM, confirmed that a meeting occurred.
At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE avoided commenting on the details of the meeting, limiting itself to stating that it maintains «open and direct channels of communication» with Israel.
It is also noteworthy that last May the office of Netanyahu had announced another secret trip by him to the UAE amid the war with Iran, but the Emirates had immediately denied that such a visit had occurred.
This contradiction between different narratives further amplifies questions regarding the true nature of behind-the-scenes relations between the two sides.
The reaction of Iran
Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, reacting to the revelations about the trip, described the cooperation of the UAE with Israel against Iran as «unforgivable».
In a message, he wrote:
«Netanyahu has now publicly revealed what Iranian security services had conveyed to our leadership long ago».
These statements show that Tehran was already aware of the behind-the-scenes coordination between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv against it.
Characteristic silence and hidden messages
The presence of Roman Gofman, head of Mossad, and Shmuel Ben Ezra, National Security Advisor of Israel, on this specific trip demonstrates the great importance attributed to the dimension of security and intelligence services.
The office of the Prime Minister of Israel has so far refused to provide further details regarding the trip, while the UAE has likewise not commented on reports concerning the meeting.
This specific silence has fueled speculation regarding the true nature of agreements and understandings that may have been reached behind the scenes.
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