The Associated Press - October 7, 2006
AMMAN, Jordan Jordan denied Saturday Israeli media reports of secret meetings between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Saudi officials on its territory.
"We`ve seen many stories circulating in different media outlets in the past couple of weeks that Israeli officials, security and otherwise, met with their Arab counterparts from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Palestinian territories," government spokesman Nasser Judeh said.
"All these stories are far from the truth, and such meetings did not take place."
In late September, the leading Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot reported that Prime Minister Olmert had met secretly with top Saudi officials at the Amman palace of Jordan`s King Abdullah II in an effort to re-energize Mideast peacemaking after the war in Lebanon. On Thursday, the paper ran fresh reports of the alleged meeting.
Olmert was evasive when asked about the first report.
"I think all the speculation on this issue is superfluous," Olmert told Israeli Army Radio on Sept. 28. However, he did not deny the report outright, and he said that Israel`s offensive in Lebanon had created a new momentum in relations between Israel and moderate Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, which does not recognize the Jewish state.
Saudi Arabia has denied such a meeting took place.
In an interview with Jordanian television late Friday, Judeh suggested the reports were designed to undermine peace moves.
"Such allegations always emerge when there are positive steps taken in the peace process, seemingly to arouse suspicion," Judeh said.
In its Thursday report, Yediot Ahronot alleged that Olmert flew in a helicopter to Amman where the King Abdullah met him at his helipad.
The paper alleged that Olmert, accompanied by the head of Israel`s Mossad intelligence agency, met a "senior Saudi official" in the presence of the king. During the discussions, Olmert reportedly said he was ready to free 1,000 Palestinian prisoners but only after the release of the Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas-linked militants in June.
The officials also talked about the "threat" posed by Iran, and agreed to continue intelligence cooperation on the country, the paper reported.
The London-based Arabic language newspaper Al-Quds reported Sept. 30 that Israeli intelligence officials had met in Jordan with Jordanian, Egyptian and Palestinian officials as well as representatives of two Gulf states that do not have relations with Israel. It said they discussed moves to procure the Israeli soldier`s release.
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AMMAN, Jordan Jordan denied Saturday Israeli media reports of secret meetings between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Saudi officials on its territory.
"We`ve seen many stories circulating in different media outlets in the past couple of weeks that Israeli officials, security and otherwise, met with their Arab counterparts from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Palestinian territories," government spokesman Nasser Judeh said.
"All these stories are far from the truth, and such meetings did not take place."
In late September, the leading Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot reported that Prime Minister Olmert had met secretly with top Saudi officials at the Amman palace of Jordan`s King Abdullah II in an effort to re-energize Mideast peacemaking after the war in Lebanon. On Thursday, the paper ran fresh reports of the alleged meeting.
Olmert was evasive when asked about the first report.
"I think all the speculation on this issue is superfluous," Olmert told Israeli Army Radio on Sept. 28. However, he did not deny the report outright, and he said that Israel`s offensive in Lebanon had created a new momentum in relations between Israel and moderate Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, which does not recognize the Jewish state.
Saudi Arabia has denied such a meeting took place.
In an interview with Jordanian television late Friday, Judeh suggested the reports were designed to undermine peace moves.
"Such allegations always emerge when there are positive steps taken in the peace process, seemingly to arouse suspicion," Judeh said.
In its Thursday report, Yediot Ahronot alleged that Olmert flew in a helicopter to Amman where the King Abdullah met him at his helipad.
The paper alleged that Olmert, accompanied by the head of Israel`s Mossad intelligence agency, met a "senior Saudi official" in the presence of the king. During the discussions, Olmert reportedly said he was ready to free 1,000 Palestinian prisoners but only after the release of the Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas-linked militants in June.
The officials also talked about the "threat" posed by Iran, and agreed to continue intelligence cooperation on the country, the paper reported.
The London-based Arabic language newspaper Al-Quds reported Sept. 30 that Israeli intelligence officials had met in Jordan with Jordanian, Egyptian and Palestinian officials as well as representatives of two Gulf states that do not have relations with Israel. It said they discussed moves to procure the Israeli soldier`s release.
