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Saudi Arabia denies meeting b/w MBS & Netanyahu

24-11-2020

RIYADH/ JERUSALEM: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has denied reports that a meeting took place between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.

“I have seen press reports about a purported meeting between HRH the Crown Prince and Israeli officials during the recent visit by @SecPompeo. No such meeting occurred. The only officials present were American and Saudi,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud wrote on Twitter on Monday.

Israeli media reported earlier that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held secret talks in Saudi Arabia on Sunday with Crown Prince Mohammed, also known as MBS.

The reports by Israeli public broadcaster Kan and other outlets came weeks after Israel reached deals to establish relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.

The deals were brokered by the administration of United States President Donald Trump, who leaves office in less than two months.

There has been widespread speculation, within Israel and the US that Washington may push for other Arab states to follow suit before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was in Israel, last week, was also at the reported talks, according to Kan’s diplomatic correspondent.

Pompeo has confirmed he was in Neom on the Red Sea as part of a Middle East Tour and met MBS.

Netanyahu’s office, US State Department and the US embassy to Israel had not commented on the reports. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)

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