U.S. ambassador appears to confirm Israeli-Saudi contacts - Haaretz

Last update - 11:16 21/12/2006

U.S. ambassador appears to confirm Israeli-Saudi contacts

By Ron Kamara, Haaretz Correspondent, and Reuters

The United States ambassador to Israel appeared to confirm on Wednesday that there have been high-level contacts between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which do not have diplomatic relations.

A spokesman for the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv would not comment, however, saying he has no knowledge of the reported statements.

In September, Israeli press reported that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had held talks with a member of Saudi Arabia's royal family on Middle East peace and Iran's nuclear program.

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Although neither the Israeli nor Saudi governments has confirmed such contacts, when asked about the matter, Ambassador Richard Jones said he thought "it [is] a very important development that this contact ... was announced."

The ambassader said he doesn't have "any particular details on [the contacts] but the very fact that ... first of all they would be able to communicate and that they would be willing communicate with one another I think shows a very serious approach," he added.

Jones noted some Israeli officials have recently spoken more favorably of an Arab-Israeli peace plan Saudi Arabia proposed 2002 which the Israelis long viewed as a nonstarter.

"I think they (the Israelis) recognize that Saudi Arabia's policies have evolved in recent years and that Saudi Arabia is now more interested, and more on the side of peace. And ... as a result, the Israelis are warming to that," he said.

"And so there is definitely something going there, but beyond the one contact that was in the press I am not privy to [it]," he added.

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1.	The Saudis have more to fear from Iran than Israel does	06:21	\|	Sherman	21/12/06

2.	Saudi Money Speaks Again	06:23	\|	Sam Weinstein	21/12/06

3.	It just goes to show you	06:46	\|	Kipperraes	21/12/06

4.	iran will smack both saudi and israel	07:01	\|	shia 4 ever	21/12/06

5.	No Harm in Talking	07:27	\|	Semsem	21/12/06

6.	#2 Junk-yard dog for hire	07:30	\|	keith	21/12/06

7.	worries	08:04	\|	Ibraheem	21/12/06

8.	Saudi Israel relations	08:13	\|	Haroon R A Khan	21/12/06

9.	Crazy Wahhabis	09:40	\|	Paulo	21/12/06

10.	Here Come The Mosques!	10:12	\|	Yosemite Sam	21/12/06

11.	SHIA 4EVER.Why do you hate so much?	10:19	\|	PETER SM	21/12/06

12.	10: Sam, "here come..."??	10:32	\|	David Teich	21/12/06

13.	Not about Peace between Saudia & Israel	11:14	\|	Arab	21/12/06

14.	SHIA 4EVER! I LOVE YOU!	11:18	\|	Pedro	21/12/06

15.	Suckers ploy . . . .	11:31	\|	revoltop	21/12/06

16.	re: Peter SM #11	11:32	\|	Paulo	21/12/06

17.	THE COMEDY NEVER ENDS THE SAUDIS MADE A ROD FOR THEIR OWN BACK	12:07	\|	paul harris	21/12/06

18.	Haroon R A Khan-#8	13:48	\|	Daniel Leopold	21/12/06

19.	To 14# Mozambique?	13:59	\|	Camillia	21/12/06

20.	Mordekhai v. Hamman	14:02	\|	BenAbuzaglo	21/12/06

21.	13: But isn`t it all intertwined, Arab?	14:18	\|	David Teich	21/12/06

22.	Make no mistake	15:27	\|	Rafa	21/12/06

23.	Israel is not as evil as it might seems to be!	15:35	\|	Rani	21/12/06

24.	ZIONIST`S` CHARACTER IS DEMONSTRATED BY THEIR CHOICE OF FRIENDS	16:06	\|	THE JACKAL	21/12/06

25.	Saudis need to end Hate education first	16:55	\|	David	21/12/06

26.	Does this mean the Arabs will leave J&S and go back to Arabia?	16:57	\|	David	21/12/06

27.	Motives for talks - Arab from Jerusalem	17:37	\|	Mark Lincoln	21/12/06

28.	#24 AND JACKAL WRIES THIS RUBBISH FROM PAKISTAN	17:48	\|	paul harris	21/12/06

29.	Stating again	18:01	\|	Ah	21/12/06

30.	To David#26	18:09	\|	Rani	21/12/06

31.	To David#26	18:09	\|	Rani	21/12/06

32.	Saudi air feilds to attack Iran...	19:19	\|	MIKE KATZ	21/12/06

33.	To Camillia	19:26	\|	christa	21/12/06

34.	Saudi Arabia and Ultra-Orthodox Have Common Values	19:35	\|	Jane	21/12/06

35.	30: Rani, time for you to study the meaning of "justice"	20:30	\|	David Teich	21/12/06

36.	#35 David Teich	21:59	\|	Charlie Bitton	21/12/06

37.	David # 25	22:38	\|	Nina	21/12/06

38.	to pedro fala san foder	22:48	\|	shia 4 ever	21/12/06

39.	#32 I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS GUY UNCANNY KNOWHOW	23:12	\|	paul harris	21/12/06

40.	saudi are not sunni not even moslem	23:25	\|	shia 4 ever	21/12/06

41.	Best of friends - Palm Beach Jane	23:51	\|	Mark Lincoln	21/12/06

42.	The proper role of religion in supporting autocrats	23:58	\|	Mark Lincoln	21/12/06

43.	To# 35 and #36	00:20	\|	Rani	22/12/06

44.	To# 35 and #36	00:20	\|	Rani	22/12/06

45.	JACKAL.Come on there MAY have been ONE meeting.	01:58	\|	PETER SM	22/12/06

46.	Shia 4 Ever	02:14	\|	Yosemite Sam	22/12/06

47.	SHIA4EVER..A good Moslem should not live amongst Infidels.	02:27	\|	PETER SM	22/12/06

48.	Christians duties	03:42	\|	Lisa Javner	22/12/06

49.	to #44	04:34	\|	shia 4 ever	22/12/06

50.	to peter sm	04:43	\|	shia 4 ever	22/12/06

51.	a new axis of devils : Saudi house and zionism	05:28	\|	Sam (UK)	22/12/06

52.	Israel and Saudi Arabia	21:07	\|	alan	22/12/06

53.	Saudi/Israeli Peace deal?	21:10	\|	P. J. Casey	22/12/06

54.	i meant yosmite sam not #44 rather# 46	22:37	\|	shia 4 ever	22/12/06

55.	43: Yes, Roni, this is how I point out your lies (2nd try)	09:50	\|	David Teich	25/12/06