In brief
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed lawyers to file a defamation suit against the Israeli newspaper Ha Eretz, alleging it falsely reported that UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed warned him about Hamas’s impending 7 Oct 2023 strike. The claim, drawn from book excerpts, asserts a phone conversation in September 2023, during which bin Zayed allegedly told Netanyahu that Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar was planning a major attack. Netanyahu’s office insists no such warning was received, calling the story a “sinister plot.” Ha Eretz stands by its reporting, accusing the Prime Minister of political interference, while the matter unfolds amid heated Israeli election campaigns and ongoing disputes about accountability for the war’s early days.
Benjamin Netanyahu has opened a defamation lawsuit against the Israeli daily Ha Eretz over its report that the United Arab Emirates’ president warned him a week before the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack.
The newspaper’s claim is based on extracts from the book *Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment*, which says that Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the UAE president, called the Prime Minister in September 2023. Bin Zayed allegedly told Netanyahu that Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar had warned a former Palestinian official that the “earthquake” would be a major operation aimed at the West Bank.
Netanyahu’s office rejects the allegation, stating no warning was received before the 7 October assault and branding the reporting a sinister political plot. In response, Ha Eretz has held that the article is based on extensive research of dozens of sources and is crucial public interest.
The lawsuit comes amid a heated Israeli election campaign, with polls indicating that the November 27 vote is effectively a referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership. Critics argue the claim undermines the Prime Minister’s responsibility, while Netanyahu insists the story is opportunistic.
A related report by Ha Eretz, citing foreign senior sources and a Palestinian adviser to Sheikh Mohammed, also accuses Netanyahu of failing to brief Israel’s intelligence and security agencies about the briefing, thereby compromising national security.
While the UAE has issued no direct statement on the conversation, its foreign ministry has emphasized continued diplomatic communication with Israel and a commitment to stability. The incident shines a spotlight on the complex interplay between journalism, political accountability and regional security.
