Story perspectives

Netanyahu Orders Lawsuit Over Haaretz’s UAE Warning Report

9/10/2026

Summary

Story summary

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed lawyers to sue Haaretz and journalist Shlomi Eldar over the UAE warning.
Netanyahu's office called the Haaretz report an “absolute lie” and said no warning existed before Oct. 7, 2023.
Likud demanded a probe of Haaretz, its reporters and opposition figures, alleging foreign election interference.
A Middle East intelligence source confirmed the UAE warned Israel of an imminent Hamas operation before Oct. 7, 2023.

History

Historical Context

In 1971 the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, rejected a Nixon-era attempt to block the New York Times from publishing the Pentagon Papers, affirming that prior restraint violates the First Amendment. Decades later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has similarly sued Haaretz and journalist Shlomi Eldar for alleged false reporting, reviving concerns that state-driven lawsuits can chill investigative journalism.

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Story summary

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed lawyers to sue Haaretz and journalist Shlomi Eldar over the UAE warning.
Netanyahu's office called the Haaretz report an “absolute lie” and said no warning existed before Oct. 7, 2023.
Likud demanded a probe of Haaretz, its reporters and opposition figures, alleging foreign election interference.
A Middle East intelligence source confirmed the UAE warned Israel of an imminent Hamas operation before Oct. 7, 2023.

1 / 2