Netanyahu to sue Ha‑Arts over UAE warning claim amid election period

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed his lawyers to initiate a defamation lawsuit against the Israeli newspaper Ha‑Arts. The lawsuit follows a book‑extract publication that claimed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al‑Nahyan, warned Netanyahu about a forthcoming Hamas attack months before the 7 October 2023 onslaught.

According to Ha‑Arts’ report, Netanyahu received a confidential phone call from the UAE leader on 1 September 2026. The discussion supposedly involved a warning that the then‑Hamas chief in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, had informed a former Palestinian official he was planning a major operation described as an “earthquake.”

Netanyahu’s office has denied any such warning, calling the claim part of a “sinister plot,” and declined the allegations that the UAE warned him of the attack prior to 7 October. The office insists that no information from the UAE was provided to Israeli security agencies or the army’s chief of staff.

The controversy comes as Israel’s general election campaign heats up. Polls ahead of the 27 October election are viewed as a referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership, with critics citing this alleged misinformation as evidence of his failure to act swiftly after the 7 October attacks.

Ha‑Arts has defended its reporting, saying it was based on “extensive research of dozens of sources” and that it is “the product of an in‑depth journalistic investigation.” The paper’s lawyers have warned that it will not be deterred by the prime minister’s attempts to silence criticism.

Meanwhile, the UAE has issued a statement reminding Israel that it has maintained open channels of communication for intelligence sharing for more than five years, and it has not denied or confirmed the phone conversation in question.

Four leading opposition politicians—Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Golan—issued a joint statement calling for an investigation into the events and accusing Netanyahu and his allies of being “unfit to continue in office.”

Key points: Netanyahu counters Ha‑Arts by filing defamation suit; Ha‑Arts claims UAE warned about Hamas attack; Netanyahu denies warning; lawsuit timing coincides with election campaign; opposition demands investigation.