Benjamin Netanyahu Denies Meeting Egyptian Intelligence Chief Despite Records

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied meeting with former Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel during an interview on Channel 14, contradicting official government records from May 2021 that documented a high-level meeting at his Jerusalem residence to discuss security and regional cooperation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sparked controversy during an appearance on Channel 14’s The Patriots, where he asserted that he had never met with a foreign intelligence chief during his tenure as prime minister. That sweeping claim immediately ran into a wall of public records from his own administration.

The remarks followed Netanyahu’s confirmation that an Egyptian aircraft had touched down in Israel in September 2023, just days before the October 7 Hamas attack. While acknowledging the flight, Netanyahu stated that Abbas Kamel spent only 59 minutes in the country, maintained he had no personal meetings with the intelligence chief, and stated he was attending a memorial ceremony for fallen soldiers at the time. He also questioned who had hosted the visitor, demanding to know whom the senior Egyptian official had met and suggesting the involvement of a “deep state.”

Netanyahu confirms egyptian intelligence — Photo: ua.news

The May 2021 Meeting at the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem

Netanyahu’s assertion that intelligence chiefs do not meet with heads of state directly contradicted the Prime Minister’s Office’s own archives. On May 30, 2021, the government published an official release confirming a formal visit.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today with Egyptian General Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel and a delegation of senior officials headed by him at the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem.

Prime Minister’s Office, Government statement

That session included then-intelligence minister Eli Cohen and then-national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat. The office released an official photograph of Netanyahu and Kamel shaking hands, captured by Government Press Office photographer Amos Ben-Gershom, alongside a published video on the prime minister’s official YouTube channel.

Disputes Over Pre-October 7 Warnings and Foreign Diplomatic Contacts

The Channel 14 interview also touched on intense scrutiny surrounding intelligence warnings ahead of the 2023 assault. Netanyahu has repeatedly dismissed reports that Cairo tipped him off about an impending large-scale attack as fake news.

BREAKING: Netanyahu admits Egyptian intelligence chief visited Israel before Hamas attack: Report

Major international publications have offered contrasting accounts of the diplomatic traffic leading up to October 7. The Atlantic reported that Kamel arrived in Israel on September 26, 2023—eleven days prior to the assault—urging Israeli leadership to offer economic concessions to Hamas to avert a major conflict. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal noted that Kamel placed a direct phone call to Netanyahu days before the attack after two prior Egyptian warnings went unheeded. Additional reporting from The New York Times indicated that United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan also warned Netanyahu of a potential large-scale operation, though those warnings allegedly failed to reach security service chiefs.

Routine Diplomatic Channels Involving Foreign Intelligence Heads

Beyond the Egyptian intelligence visits, historical diplomatic practices highlight frequent high-level engagements between Israeli leadership and foreign intelligence directors. In February 2024, reporting indicated that then-CIA director William Burns traveled to Israel to meet with Netanyahu and former Mossad chief David Barnea to discuss hostage release frameworks. Burns and Netanyahu convened again in May 2024 during ongoing ceasefire and hostage negotiations, showing that security talks involving intelligence chiefs remain a standard component of regional diplomacy.