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Israeli newspaper reveals secret meetings held between Netanyahu and Arab leaders

October 1, 2018 at 3:03 am

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi meet in New York, US [thenewkhalij]

Israeli newspaper Maariv revealed secret meetings held between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Arab leaders and officials in New York, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Israeli writer Yossi Melman described a slip of the tongue by the Minister of Communications, Ayoob Kara, when he said during a ceremony on Friday in New York that Netanyahu secretly met with Arab leaders (he did not name) who have expressed their admiration and appreciation of him.

Melman said that Netanyahu did not only meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi but instead met other Arab leaders who praised his “leadership skills”.

Israeli website i24News quoted Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi as saying to Netanyahu during their meeting on Friday in New York that he “believes in and relies on him.”

Both sides have met on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Read: Egypt’s Sisi urges Netanyahu to resume peace talks

According to the Israeli website, Netanyahu asked Al-Sisi to pressure the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas regarding the Gaza Strip.

He pointed out that: “The meeting between Netanyahu and Al-Sisi was held in a friendly atmosphere during which the two leaders exchanged views on matters of common interest.”

The Egyptian government had earlier said that: “Al-Sisi discussed with Netanyahu ways to establish the peace process between the Palestinians and (Israel).”

According to Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, sources revealed that Al-Sisi proposed to Netanyahu that Egypt host the negotiations of what is known in the media as the “Deal of the Century”. The newspaper also said that the meeting equally included an Israeli request to hold other official conferences in Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh soon.

Israel considers the relations with Al-Sisi regime as the best with any other Arab regime, and they reached what relations with any previous Egyptian government did not arrive before. It said that the security coordination between them reached unprecedented levels, especially about Sinai, in which there are fierce military operations against armed groups.