RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia on Sunday denied that any of its officials had visited Israel, after Israeli media reported that a senior prince had made a secret diplomatic trip there.
“Reports of a secret visit to Israel by a Saudi official, which have appeared on some media, are unfounded,” a spokesman for the Saudi foreign ministry said.
“Saudi Arabia has always been transparent as regards contacts and visits” to foreign countries, the spokesman said in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency.
Israeli radio last month reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had secretly met officials in Israel.
Israeli officials never confirmed the reports.
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In 2002, Saudi Arabia proposed a peace initiative offering Arab countries’ recognition of Israel in return for Israel’s withdrawal from territories occupied in 1967 and the creation of a Palestinian state.
The plan was never put into action.
There are no indications that Arab states are set to formally recognize Israel.
But like Israel, most Gulf states including Saudi Arabia prioritize curbing Iran’s regional influence.
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There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.
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