An analytical report has revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deliberately leaked details of his secret visit to the United Arab Emirates during the war with Iran in an attempt to embarrass Abu Dhabi and pressure it into publicly acknowledging the scale of its security and military coordination with Israel.
According to a report published by the British outlet Middle East Eye, Netanyahu’s office announced on 13 May that the Israeli prime minister had conducted a “secret visit” to the UAE, during which he met UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The meeting was described by Israeli officials as a “historic breakthrough”.
However, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs quickly issued an unusually sharp denial, describing the Israeli reports as “completely baseless” and insisting that relations with Israel are conducted openly under the framework of the Abraham Accords.
Israeli Media Continued Publishing Details Despite UAE Denial
Despite the Emirati denial, Israeli media outlets continued releasing further details about the alleged visit.
The Times of Israel reported that the meeting took place in the city of Al Ain near the Omani border and lasted several hours. The report also claimed that Mohammed bin Zayed personally escorted Netanyahu from the airport to the presidential palace.
Additional Israeli reports stated that Israeli private aircraft arrived in the UAE during the same period and that several senior Israeli military and intelligence officials accompanied the visit.
Among the names mentioned were Mossad chief David Barnea, Shin Bet director David Zini, and Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.
The report also noted that American officials, including US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, confirmed the presence of Israeli soldiers inside the UAE to operate Iron Dome missile defence batteries during the confrontation with Iran.
Why Netanyahu Wanted the Visit Public
According to the analysis, the key question is no longer whether the visit actually took place, but why Netanyahu chose to expose it despite the sensitivity of the Emirati position.
Writer Ali Bakr argues that Netanyahu was pursuing several domestic and regional objectives through the leak.
One of the primary goals was to present himself to the Israeli public as a leader who remains welcomed in Arab capitals despite the ongoing war in Gaza and the arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court.
The leak also sought to reassure the Israeli public that the normalisation agreements remain intact despite the genocide in Gaza and the escalating regional tensions.
According to the report, Netanyahu additionally used the leak as a direct message to Iran, signalling that Israel is capable of operating freely inside the Gulf even during wartime and can move senior military and intelligence officials throughout the region without obstruction.
Deepening Emirati Dependence on Israeli Security Coordination
The report warns that Israel’s broader objective goes beyond political messaging.
According to the analysis, Israel is attempting to deepen the UAE’s dependence on Israeli security coordination while simultaneously creating further divisions within the Gulf region.
In contrast, the UAE’s denial was not necessarily aimed at disputing the occurrence of the meeting itself. Rather, it reflected Abu Dhabi’s concern over the political and security consequences of publicly acknowledging such coordination during an active regional conflict.
The report states that the UAE is facing increasing pressure due to the ongoing war in Gaza and the growing anger across the Arab and Muslim worlds toward any relationship with Israel, particularly amid continued images of massacres and destruction inside the Palestinian enclave.
Abu Dhabi also fears that openly confirming security cooperation with Israel would strengthen Iranian accusations that certain Gulf states are collaborating with Tel Aviv against Tehran.
Security Fears Following Iranian Attacks
During the recent conflict, the UAE was reportedly exposed to more than 550 Iranian missiles and 2,200 drones, making the Emirati leadership increasingly sensitive to any escalation that could directly associate the country with the Israeli security project.
The report further argues that exposure of these relationships threatens the image the UAE has carefully cultivated internationally as a stable centre for business, investment, and tourism.
International investors and corporations have reportedly begun expressing growing concern about the possibility of the UAE becoming directly entangled in regional conflicts, particularly as security risks linked to confrontation with Iran continue to rise.
Netanyahu’s Leak Violated the UAE’s Diplomatic Approach
The report describes Netanyahu’s leak as a clear breach of the confidential diplomatic practices the UAE relies upon when managing sensitive regional relationships.
According to the analysis, Abu Dhabi viewed the Israeli move as an attempt to exploit the UAE as part of Netanyahu’s domestic political calculations.
The writer noted that this was not the first time Netanyahu had employed such tactics. The report referenced the leak surrounding his secret visit to the Saudi city of Neom in 2020, which complicated the trajectory of Saudi-Israeli normalisation efforts at the time.
The latest leak, according to the report, may further strengthen Saudi Arabia’s current reluctance to move forward with normalisation with Israel, especially as the political and regional costs associated with ties to the Israeli occupation government continue to escalate.
Growing Questions Inside the UAE
The report concluded that Abu Dhabi is increasingly facing difficult questions regarding the value of its deep alliance with Israel.
It argued that concerns are growing over whether this relationship is beginning to undermine the UAE’s independent decision making and pull the country toward deeper regional isolation and conflicts whose consequences may become increasingly difficult to control.
