Democrats Party leader Yair Golan made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he held meetings with senior Emirati officials in Abu Dhabi to discuss political issues, Israeli Channel 13 revealed for the first time.

According to the channel, the visit was not announced in advance. Golan was later documented returning to "Israel" on a business-class flight.

The report said the Democrats Party financed the trip and noted that Golan did not notify the Israeli Foreign Ministry or any other official body of the visit, as he is neither a member of the Knesset nor an official representative of the occupation government.

Channel 13 added that this was not the first time Golan had met with senior Emirati officials, pointing to previous meetings conducted under similar circumstances that were not disclosed to the public.

Quiet contacts

The visit comes amid continuing contacts between Emirati officials and both Israeli government and opposition figures. In December 2024, Golan publicly disclosed a meeting with UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during which regional developments and broader political issues were discussed.

In recent months, Israeli media have also reported a series of undisclosed visits by senior Israeli officials to the UAE. During the war on Iran, reports indicated that Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet chief David Zini each made separate visits to the Emirates for consultations related to regional security developments.

UAE denial

In a related context, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said about a month ago that, during the war on Iran, Netanyahu made a secret visit to the UAE, where he met with President Mohammed bin Zayed.

Netanyahu's office claimed that the visit resulted in what it described as a "historic breakthrough" in relations between the two sides. The UAE, however, publicly rejected the claim, with its Foreign Ministry stating that no such meeting had taken place and emphasizing that the country's relations and communications with foreign states are conducted through official and transparent channels.

Source:Websites