Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed his legal team to launch a defamation lawsuit against Haaretz after the newspaper published a series of book extracts alleging that the UAE’s president warned him a month before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
According to Haaretz, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed had a phone call with Netanyahu in September, during which the UAE leader reportedly informed the Israeli premier that Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar had told a Palestinian official that a major operation was being planned. The article framed the warning as an “earthquake‑like” threat that could destabilise the region.
Netanyahu’s office has rebuffed the claim, labeling it part of a “sinister plot” and insisting that no warning came from the UAE. Haaretz, which has long been critical of the Prime Minister, says it will not relent, stating its reporting was the product of extensive investigative work.
The dispute unfolds against the backdrop of Israel’s general election campaign, where the polls on 27 October are seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership. Critics argue that the allegation—if false—highlights the administration’s failure to act swiftly after the attacks.
Experts note that the Oct. 7 assault resulted in roughly 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken by Hamas. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has left at least 73,670 civilians dead, according to Hamas‑run health figures deemed reliable by the UN.
Haaretz’s lawyers responded to the Prime Minister’s plans with a defiance statement, affirming the article’s significance for public accountability. They added that the press “plays its part by exposing important information to the public.”
While the UAE has not confirmed or denied the specifics, its foreign ministry emphasized its ongoing cooperation with Israel, stressing open intelligence-sharing lines that have existed for over five years.
In a unified stance, four opposition leaders—Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, and Yair Golan—issued a joint statement demanding an investigation into the events. “Netanyahu and his allies are unfit to continue in office,” they said.
