Netanyahu threatens to sue Haaretz for reporting UAE warned Israel of Oct. 7 attack

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu categorically denied a Haaretz report that Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed had warned him before Oct. 7, 2023, that Hamas was preparing a major attack on Israel and said he would sue the newspaper and two journalists over the allegation.

“The press reports are false. No warning was given to the prime minister from the United Arab Emirates before Oct. 7,” Netanyahu’s office said on Tuesday, adding that “if there was any relevant information, it was passed through intelligence channels between the two countries.”

Netanyahu’s office said he had sent Haaretz a letter threatening a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper and journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yovel. Yovel coauthored a book with Eldar published Tuesday that details the alleged warning.

“Contrary to what has been claimed, from the beginning of September through Oct. 7, there was no conversation between the prime minister and the president of the United Arab Emirates,” Netanyahu’s office said.