WASHINGTON (May 18, 2026) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to strengthen ties with a Gulf nation. Netanyahu met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with a discussion that led to “a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” according to the office of Netanyahu.
The UAE hasn’t commented on the visit by the Israeli leader, and has dealt with Iranian missiles and drone attacks even after the ceasefire agreement was reached last month. Last week, the UAE state news agency reported that Netanyahu was one of the leaders who called the Emirati president to condemn Iranian attacks and express their solidarity with the Gulf federation.
For more analysis on these developments, please consider Ned Lazarus, Teaching Associate Professor of International Affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs. Lazarus is an Israel Institute Teaching Fellow and an expert in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Dialogue, Evaluation, and Peace Education. Prior to entering academia, Lazarus served as the Middle East Program Director for Seeds of Peace.
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