UAE denies reports of Israeli PM’s visit to the country
Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has denied reports of a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the country, noting that reports claiming that the UAE had received the Israeli prime minister or any Israeli military delegation were false.
In a statement posted on social media platform X on Wednesday (local time), the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that its relations with Israel are conducted within the framework of the publicly known Abraham Accords, not based on secret arrangements.
The ministry added that any claims regarding undeclared visits or unofficial arrangements are baseless unless announced by the relevant official UAE authorities, reports Xinhua news agency.
It also called on media outlets to verify information and avoid circulating unconfirmed reports or using them to fuel political speculation.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that he made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates and met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan amid the war with Iran.
“The visit led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the UAE,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement, without providing details.
It is Netanyahu’s first known visit to the UAE and the second time an Israeli prime minister has visited the Gulf country.
The announcement came amid media reports of recent visits to the UAE by Israel’s top security officials, signalling deepening security ties between the two countries, which first normalised ties in 2020.
Mossad intelligence agency chief David Barnea visited the UAE at least twice in March and April to coordinate on the war with Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing Arab officials.
Israel’s state-owned Kan News reported that Shin Bet internal security agency chief David Zini had also visited the UAE.