Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told his lawyers to open a defamation lawsuit against the Israeli newspaper Haaretz after the paper published a story claiming that United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan warned him about a planned Hamas attack just days before the 7 Oct 2023 outbreak.
The story, drawn from excerpts in the book *Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment*, alleges that during a phone call the UAE president told Netanyahu that Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar had relayed information that an “earthquake‑like” operation was imminent. Netanyahu’s office has branded the claim a “sinister plot” and denied that any warning was received before the attacks.
Haaretz has stood by its reporting and rejected the defamation assertion, arguing that the coverage was a legitimate exercise of journalistic criticism aimed at exposing the president’s decision‑making process before the war.
The dispute comes at a politically volatile time. Israeli national elections are scheduled for 27 October, and opposition leaders have called for an investigation into whether Netanyahu failed to respond adequately to the warned threat.
UAE officials have issued no formal statement about the alleged phone call but reiterated that the United Arab Emirates continues to work on regional de‑escalation efforts since the Hamas attacks.
As investigations begin, the broader international community keeps a closer eye on the dynamics between Israel and its Arab neighbors, hinting at shifting alliances and renewed diplomatic maneuvers. The outcome of this lawsuit could shape media freedoms in Israel and set a precedent for how political leaders respond to journalistic scrutiny in times of conflict.
