Mahathir denies Israeli TV report

Mahathir denies Israeli TV report

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
denied yesterday an Israeli television report that he had had a
secret meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Yitzhak Rabin, in
Paris at the beginning of July.

"The prime minister has denied meeting with Yitzhak Rabin as
reported," Mahathir's assistant secretary, Zakaria Wahab, said.

Israeli television said on Thursday that the meeting took
place when Rabin went to receive a UNESCO peace prize with
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO) chairman Yasser Arafat on July 6.

"Dr Mahathir was shown the news report which quoted Israeli
television on the alleged meeting and he has denied it," Zakaria
said. Israel and Malaysia, which is predominantly Moslem, do not
have diplomatic relations.

Malaysian officials said that Mahathir had stayed at the same
Paris hotel -- the Crillon - with Rabin and Arafat when he made
an official visit to France between July 6 and 9.