Barak denies meeting secretly with Abbas

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak Tuesday denied reports he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman last week. Barak's office denied the reports from Jordan, which said the two met in secret in Amman to push the peace process forward, Israel Radio said Tuesday. The Jordanian Internet site Ammonnews.net said Jordanian officials were at the meeting Thursday. The talks, the site said, focused on resuming direct peace talks and plans by the Palestinians to be recognized by the United Nations as a non-member state. The two also reportedly discussed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's decision to hold early elections and the political situation in Israel. Last week Palestinian media reported Abbas traveled to Amman for a medical checkup and to visit family, the site said.