Alwaght- An Israeli daily claimed in a report that leaders of Jordan and Egypt have held a secret meeting with Israeli regime authorities to push a peace initiative.
Haaretz daily reported on Sunday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met secretly a year ago with the leaders of Egypt and Jordan in a failed attempt by the Obama administration to convene a wider regional summit on Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Citing unidentified senior officials in former US President Barack Obama's administration, Haaretz said Netanyahu, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Jordan's King Abdullah and US Secretary of State John Kerry convened on 21 February, 2016 in the Jordanian Red Sea resort of Aqaba.
According to the report, the initiative failed after Israeli prime minister betrayed the process by backing off claiming opposition within his right-wing government.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas did not attend the Aqaba meeting but was updated by Kerry, Haaretz said.
At a meeting with ministers from his Likud party, Netanyahu acknowledged the meeting took place, though he said it was his own initiative to try and bring about a regional summit, according to a cabinet member present, who declined to be identified.
A spokesman for Netanyahu declined to comment on the report. Sisi's office issued a statement referring to the news report, though it did not name Haaretz, as having "incorrect information" but did not deny that a meeting took place. No immediate comment was available from Jordan.
