Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed he made a secret trip to the United Arab Emirates at the height of the Iran war to meet the president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Israeli prime minister's office said on Wednesday night that the visit led to a 'historic breakthrough' in relations between Israel and the UAE.
Details of the Alleged Meeting
According to Reuters, the two leaders met for several hours in Al Ain, an oasis city near the Oman border, on 26 March. A source told the news agency that Mossad director David Barnea made at least two visits to the UAE during the war with Iran to coordinate military actions. The intelligence chief's visit was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Growing Alliance
This supposed visit would be the latest milestone in a rapidly developing Middle East alliance. On Tuesday, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee disclosed that Israel had shared its air defence system with the UAE, sending Iron Dome batteries and military specialists to operate them during the war. 'There's an extraordinary relationship between the UAE and Israel,' Huckabee said.
However, the United Arab Emirates' foreign ministry denied the reports of Netanyahu's visit, describing such claims as 'baseless'.
UAE's Secret Actions
It was also reported that the UAE had secretly carried out its own strikes on Iran, including an attack on a refinery on Lavan island in early April, in retaliation for Iranian attacks on its oil facilities, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Historical Context
In 2020, the UAE became the first Islamic country to normalise relations with Israel, followed by Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan under the 'Abraham accords'. The UAE has since gone much further than the others in tightening the relationship into a de facto alliance.
The Emirati rulers have increasingly sought an independent foreign policy from their larger neighbour, Saudi Arabia. At the beginning of the month, the UAE left the Saudi-led oil cartel OPEC, severely weakening the organisation's global clout.
Relations with the US
Israel and the UAE have close relationships with the Trump administration, deepened by their involvement in the Iran war. However, they are vulnerable to a change of administration and policy direction in Washington. Both are under intense scrutiny for their alleged involvement in war crimes.
Israel has been accused of genocide in Gaza, and arrest warrants have been issued by the International Criminal Court for Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant. The UAE is widely believed to be arming and funding the Rapid Support Forces, accused of mass atrocities in Sudan. The government has denied the allegations despite considerable evidence.
