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Riyadh, November 23: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in a statement issued on Monday, denied the reported meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The clarification came hours after Israeli media outlets and diplomatic correspondents claimed that a secret meeting took place between both the leaders on Sunday. Benjamin Netanyahu Secretly Visited Saudi Arabia, Met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: Reports.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan took to social media to refute the reports, claiming that a high-level meeting which took place yesterday involved only the officials of Saudi Arabia and the United States. No Israeli Minister or diplomat was present, he clarified.
"I have seen press reports about a purported meeting between HRH the Crown Prince and Israeli officials during the recent visit by @SecPompeo (sic)," tweeted the KSA Foreign Minister. "No such meeting occurred. The only officials present were American and Saudi," he further added.
See Prince Faisal bin Farhan's Tweet
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.
— فيصل بن فرحان (@FaisalbinFarhan) November 23, 2020
Israeli public broadcaster Kan, in a report aired earlier today, claimed that Netanyahu and Yossi Cohen, chief of Israeli spy agency Mossad, flew to the Saudi city of Neom on Sunday where a secret meeting was arranged with MBS - acronym with which the Crown Prince is referred to.
Their flight, reported the media outlets based in Tel Aviv, was sponsored by Israeli businessman Udi Angel. The reports also cited flight tracker data that apparently showed Angel's plane leaving Israel at 8:00 pm (1800 GMT), and returning from Neom five hours later.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry had, earlier today, refused to comment on the reports broadcasted in Israel. A clarification wars later issued on Twitter by the Kingdom's Foreign Minister.
Speculations were rife that Riyadh and Tel Aviv could be moving towards normalisation of ties, similar to the US-brokered peace deals inked between Israel and UAE, Bahrain and Sudan in the last two months. President Donald Trump had claimed that five or six Arab states, including the Saudi, could sign the "Abraham Accords" in the days to come.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 23, 2020 07:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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