Palestinian Paper: Netanyahu Visited Arab State

Palestinian newspaper Al Manar reports today that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s disappearance yesterday (reported here) was due to a visit he paid to the capital of an Arab country which does not have diplomatic ties with Israel. Israeli journalists who were scheduled to meet Netanyahu on Monday inquired as to the change in his schedule. Later on in the evening, his office said he had visited a security facility in central Israel with National Security Adviser Uzi Arad and the PM’s Military Secretary Maj. Gen. Meir Kalifi.

According to the Al Manar report, published today, Netanyahu was actually meeting with officials from two Arab countries and relayed a message to their leaders regarding the need for cooperation in the face of the Iranian nuclear threat.

Earlier today, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that he will apparently be leaving for Egypt at the beginning of next week to meet President Hosni Mubarak. It is possible that he will also meet with Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman while there.

Netanyahu is expected to raise a number of different issues during his meeting, including jumpstarting peace talks with the Palestinians and the release of captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.{Ynet/Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}