[60845] Political Tension: The UAE is furious over leaks from Netanyahu's office

Diplomatic tension: Abu Dhabi against Netanyahu's office

According to a report by the i24NEWS network, significant tension has prevailed in recent days between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The background to the crisis is the decision of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office to publicly disclose the visit of Netanyahu to Abu Dhabi last March, a step that aroused "great anger" on the part of the Emirates. According to sources on the i24NEWS network, the UAE ambassador to Israel, Mohamed Al-Khaja, conveyed a sharp message of protest to the National Security Council in Israel, claiming that such leaks are the reason why Netanyahu has not been invited for additional official visits in recent years.

At the same time, reports in various media outlets, including the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, revealed that the Director-General of the Ministry of Defense (identified in the sources as former Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir) made a secret visit to the Emirates during the current war. In this visit, Zamir met with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed, and other senior officials in the local security establishment.

Analysis of motives and concerns

Israel's Channel 12 notes that the attempts by officials in the Emirates to deny these visits stem from a "fear of Iran." According to this interpretation, Abu Dhabi fears being perceived as part of the anti-Iranian axis and becoming a direct target for attacks. The Emiratis, according to the channel, are trying to maintain a low profile regarding relations with Israel to prevent regional escalation.

It should be noted that the sources for this information include Israeli media outlets alongside Telegram channels identified with Iranian media entities (Fars News, سپاه ایران, and خبرفوری جنگ), which often take a critical line toward Israel and emphasize exposing Netanyahu's "diplomatic failures" as part of the regional frustration with Israeli policy.