AMMAN: A top Israeli official made a secret visit to Jordan late last year to discuss moves to restart peace talks in the Middle East.
Uzi Arad, who is national security advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, met Jordanian officials, a senior Jordan government official said on Tuesday.
“The discussions with Arad focused on ways of re-launching serious negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians on the basis of the two-state vision and relevant international references,” the official told Arab News anonymously.
The official was responding to reports and leaks from Israel, which revealed that Arad had visited Jordan twice in the past few months, meeting with senior officials including Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh.
However, the Jordanian official categorically denied reports that claimed the Israeli official had offered Jordan a security role in the West Bank.
“This allegation is totally baseless. Such a security role was not discussed during the talks,” the source said.
“The sole role Jordan aspires to play is to help the Palestinian brethren regain their rights and establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.”
The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war.
The Hashemite Kingdom concluded a peace treaty with the Jewish state in 1994.
