Israel’s domestic security service has filed a complaint against a television channel over its report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the UAE, his office said on Monday, in what amounts to the government’s first acknowledgement of the trip despite not naming the destination.
“This evening the Shin Bet filed a complaint with the Chief Military Censor, demanding that Channel 12 be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law following a severe censorship violation,” read a statement from Netanyahu’s office, which oversees the security agency.
The complaint followed reports on Sunday by Channel 12 and other Israeli media outlets that Netanyahu had travelled to the Gulf country to meet with President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Neither country has confirmed the visit, making Monday’s statement the first acknowledgement of any kind by Israel.
The reported trip came weeks after a bombshell Israeli media report that the Emirati president had warned Netanyahu ahead of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, and that the Israeli premier did not pass the warning on to the security services. Netanyahu has denied the story.
According to Israeli media, Netanyahu flew to the UAE on Sunday to ask Sheikh Mohamed to deny having given him that warning in 2023.
The prime minister’s office said the publication of his visit endangered the lives of Netanyahu and his wife, as well as the delegation, which included the head of the Mossad spy agency and other top security officials. It noted that the visit was made public while the premier’s plane was still outside Israeli airspace.
Mossad, which also operates under the prime minister’s office, issued a similar condemnation, according to the statement.
Israel and the UAE formally established diplomatic relations in 2020 as part of the US-negotiated Abraham Accords.
The latest episode highlights the sensitivity surrounding the reported Netanyahu UAE visit at a time of heightened regional tensions and ongoing scrutiny of Israel’s security failures before the October 7 attack. The Shin Bet’s move against Channel 12 underscores the Israeli government’s determination to prevent further disclosures about the trip, even as it stops short of officially confirming the destination.
Source: Dawn News