Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took part in a secret meeting with Arab representatives in the United Arab Emirates on Sept. 27 to discuss threats from Iran and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi terrorist group, senior Israeli officials told Epoch Magazine Israel.
The gathering was chaired by Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and included representatives from Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, the officials said.
Israel and the UAE have publicly confirmed Netanyahu’s visit, describing it as a chance to discuss bilateral ties. Neither announcement mentions the broader Arab gathering described by the Israeli officials.
The talks took place against the backdrop of the war with Iran and a Houthi advance along Yemen’s Red Sea coast that has increased pressure on Saudi Arabia and threatened a key shipping route.
Saudi Request for Assistance
Security officials told Epoch Magazine Israel that Mossad Director Roman Gofman organized the meeting with the knowledge of the Trump administration, following a Saudi request for Israeli assistance.
The request concerned Houthi activity in Yemen and the group’s takeover of territory around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which has enabled it to threaten freedom of navigation and exert maritime pressure on Saudi Arabia.
Participants discussed the possibility of Israel sharing intelligence on the Houthis and Iran, drawing on Israeli air defense expertise, and assessing potential confrontations with both, the officials said.
They also noted that Jerusalem had previously helped Abu Dhabi with air defense and that in the current conflict, Israel transferred an Iron Dome air defense battery to the UAE, with an Israeli team operating it.
The officials’ account described discussions about possible cooperation. It did not identify any agreements reached at the gathering.
Renewed Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea have added to disruptions caused by the Iran war and restrictions on passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthis have focused much of their efforts on seizing territory around Bab el-Mandeb, a maritime choke point that connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Saudi Arabia has increased its use of the Red Sea port of Yanbu to export oil as Gulf transits have come under pressure from Iranian forces, which have menaced shipping in the Strait of Hormuz with naval mines, attack drones, and missiles.
The UAE established diplomatic relations with Israel under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020. Saudi Arabia has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel.
Both Sides Confirm Visit
Netanyahu’s office said on Sept. 29 that the prime minister and his wife visited the UAE at the Emirati president’s invitation.
“The visit focused on strengthening relations between the two countries and on regional challenges,” the statement reads.
The Israeli leader was accompanied by the heads of Israel’s National Security Council and Mossad, as well as his military secretary and foreign policy adviser, according to the statement.
The UAE’s official WAM news agency also confirmed the meeting, saying that the leaders discussed bilateral relations and “ways to strengthen ties.”
Netanyahu’s office separately rejected an Associated Press report claiming that he had asked the Emirati president to deny an earlier newspaper report alleging that the leader had warned Netanyahu of a looming Hamas terrorist group attack before Oct. 7, 2023, when members of Hamas stormed into Israel and killed hundreds of people.
“Fake news,” Netanyahu’s office said of the report, adding that the visit focused solely on bilateral relations and “regional challenges.”
Netanyahu’s visit to the UAE occurred about a month ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 election.
In a video released by Netanyahu, the prime minister warned of possible attacks ahead of the vote.
“We have indications that ahead of the elections, our enemies will try to attack us,” he said from an air force base.
“Do not mess with us—not now and not ever.”
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