Israel yesterday acknowledged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United Arab Emirates on Sunday to meet with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. This is Netanyahu’s first confirmed visit since the two nations normalized relations in 2020.

• The Israeli press release claimed the visit “focused on strengthening relations between the two countries and on regional challenges.”

• Per the press release, Netanyahu was accompanied by the head of Israel’s National Security Council, the director of Mossad, the secretary of the military and his foreign-policy adviser.

The Associated Press claimed Netanyahu made the trip to ask the president to deny rumors that the U.A.E. had warned Israel regarding Hamas before the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack but that Netanyahu didn’t do anything with the warning.

• Israel’s Knesset elections are scheduled for October 27.

• Anti-Netanyahu papers have been pushing stories like these recently. While it is suspicious that they would do so right before elections, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any credibility to the stories.

October’s election is Israel’s first since the October 7 massacre. It may be Netanyahu’s hardest election battle yet. Traveling with such a large entourage to a military ally like the U.A.E. suggests he is still focused on attacking Iran.

The rumors surrounding his visit show Israel is under pressure domestically as well as abroad. Whatever happens with the vote or with the next phase of the war, every move Netanyahu makes will be heavily scrutinized—and could lead to his downfall.