Netanyahu made secret visit to UAE to meet with country’s president, Israel says
Washington (CBS NEWS) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he met with Mohammed bin Zayed, the country’s president, sources told CBS News.
Netanyahu’s office acknowledged the trip, saying in a statement Wednesday that it “resulted in a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.” Sources told CBS News that the meeting occurred in late March.
But hours later, the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the meeting took place, saying in a statement that the UAE’s “relations with Israel are public and conducted within the framework of the well-known and officially declared Abraham Accords, and are not based on non-transparent or unofficial arrangements.”
“Accordingly, any claims regarding unannounced visits or undisclosed arrangements are entirely unfounded unless officially announced by the relevant authorities in the UAE,” the statement said.
Any visit from Israeli officials could potentially create some domestic civil unrest for the Emiratis.
The UAE was the first country to sign on to the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, which normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and four Arab nations.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that the UAE carried out military strikes on Iran last month. The UAE has not acknowledged that action publicly.
Israel has sent Iron Dome air-defense batteries and personnel to the UAE, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Tuesday. Sources confirmed the UAE received the defense systems.
According to a U.S. official, Netanyahu traveled to the UAE in 2018 to meet with MBZ, as he is often called.
