Israeli sources: Secret meeting between Barak and Abbas in Jordan

Israeli media outlets have confirmed that a secret meeting took place between the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Israeli Minister of War, Ehud Barak, in Jordan, at a time when President Abbas publicly insists on the non-resumption of negotiations with Tel Aviv until there is a halt in its settlement activities.

The Hebrew radio broadcast mentioned, on Thursday morning (January 7), that “some rumors are being circulated about a secret meeting between the Israeli Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak, and the Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, in Jordan last Sunday before Abbas headed towards Cairo to meet with the Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak.”

At a time when the radio said that Israeli Minister of Defense declined to comment on this report, it quoted Israeli diplomatic sources as saying that “Barak had spoken with the Palestinian president earlier this week,” without stating whether this talk was held through a telephone conversation or a face-to-face meeting.

In the same context, reliable Palestinian sources in Ramallah said Mahmoud Abbas left the city on Saturday, January 2, for a significant political meeting without revealing the nature of this meeting or with whom.

Yasser Abed Rabbo, Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, apologized for the absence of President Abbas from a cultural ceremony, organized on Saturday night by the radio and television body to commemorate the launch of the Palestinian movement Fatah, because of his departure for an “important political meeting.”

Source: Quds Press