Netanyahu targets Haaretz with defamation suit over pre-attack warning
Netanyahu is suing Haaretz over its report that the UAE warned him of a Hamas attack days before 7 October.
Netanyahu has instructed lawyers to file a defamation case against Israeli newspaper Haaretz. The case concerns its claim that UAE President Sheikh Mohammed warned him of a planned Hamas operation.
Haaretz published book extracts saying a UAE representative delivered the warning by secure phone. The warning came days before the 7 October attacks.
Netanyahu's office flatly denies this. It calls the report part of a "sinister plot" and says "no warning was given".
Haaretz has rejected the defamation claim. It says the lawsuit aims only "to silence journalistic criticism".
The lawsuit comes during an election campaign. An October 27 poll is widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu's leadership.
Since 7 October, Netanyahu has faced sustained accusations of moving too slowly when the attack began. He has refused calls for an independent public inquiry.
Why it mattersThe dispute turns on whether Netanyahu ignored a warning about an attack that killed about 1,200 people. It also concerns whether that attack triggered a war. This question could shape his political future.
AustraliaNo direct Australian effect yet, though the legal and political fallout is being tracked by Australian media and security analysts.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 19 h ago
