A mysterious development has emerged regarding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United Arab Emirates: the Italian newspaper Il Foglio reports that Saddam Haftar—deputy commander-in-chief of forces in eastern Libya and son of General Khalifa Haftar—also arrived in Abu Dhabi and held a secret meeting with Netanyahu. The report is based on the tracking of unusual aircraft movements at Al Bateen Airport and claims made by a former political advisor to the family, who linked the meeting to the younger Haftar’s ambition to secure international support for his bid for the Libyan presidency. However, as of now, neither side has officially confirmed that the meeting took place.
According to the Il Foglio report, the timing of the arrivals at Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen Airport was remarkably precise: an Airbus A319 aircraft, which took off from Benghazi and is used by Saddam Haftar, landed at 12:40 PM—just twenty minutes after Netanyahu’s plane had landed. Mohamed Buisier, a former political advisor to Khalifa Haftar, claimed on X that this was no mere coincidence: “Saddam met with Netanyahu to secure political support for his run for the Libyan presidency.” The Haftar family’s ties to Israel have made headlines in the past. As early as 2021, Haaretz reported on a plane linked to Saddam Haftar landing at Ben Gurion Airport for diplomatic talks; at the same time, Israel Hayom revealed that the family had engaged an Israeli consulting and communications firm through Emirati mediation. According to the Italian newspaper’s analysis, this latest move marks another step in Haftar’s plan to establish global legitimacy and build a network of connections with power centers in Jerusalem and Washington, amidst the country’s internal power struggles.
The report’s central and intriguing focus concerns the American arena: the newspaper claims Haftar is expected to meet in Washington with Vice President-elect J.D. Vance. This follows a meeting last June in the U.S. with Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio, aimed at “establishing himself as an indispensable leader.” Concurrently, it is reported that Haftar is attempting to forge ties with Kimberly Guilfoyle—a close associate of the Trump camp—through his aide Rifat al-Abar, seeking American backing in the struggle for control over the Libyan oil and gas company Waha. Saddam Haftar’s alleged arrival coincided with the landing of several other military and government aircraft in Abu Dhabi around the same time, including planes linked to Morocco. While the meeting with Haftar remains unconfirmed beyond media reports, the meeting between Netanyahu and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed was officially confirmed; the Prime Minister’s Office stated that the discussion focused on strengthening ties and addressing regional challenges, while Reuters reported—citing senior Israeli officials—that the talks lasted approximately six hours and centered primarily on the Iranian threat.
Saddam Haftar is the eldest son of Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army, which exercises de facto control over the country’s east and its key oil facilities. In recent months, the younger Haftar has stepped up diplomatic efforts to expand his reach beyond the local arena; last March, he even hired the American lobbying firm Ballard Partners to open doors within Washington’s government corridors.
If the reports regarding his meetings with Netanyahu, Vance, and figures in Trump’s inner circle are officially confirmed, they would signal a calculated effort on his part to forge a tripartite axis of influence—comprising Israel, the Gulf states, and the upper echelons of the U.S. Republican administration—as he seeks to ascend to power in Libya.