SANA'A, Oct. 5 (Saba) - The former regime had direct and indirect contacts with the Zionist entity, the spokesman for the armed forces revealed on Sunday.
In a press brief, Brigadier General Yahya Sarie'a said that the contacts between the regime of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Zionist entity had been continuing during the post-Gulf initiative and the existing authority then until the start of the aggression on March 26, 2015.
"On July 14, 2007, advisor to the Israeli Foreign Minister, Bruce Kashdan arrived in Sana'a," Sarie'a said. He cited official documents and stated that the unannounced visit that lasted for two days.
During the visit, Kashdan met with military and security senior officials, who were relatives of former President Saleh. The visit, ended on July 16, 2007, was arranged by Yemeni officials in addition to officials from the United Arab Emirates, according to Sarie'a, who stressed that Kashdan's visit in 2007 was the second to Yemen after a previous visit on February 2, 2005.
In the 2007 visit, the discussion between two sides focused on the cooperation in the security field, particularly the security of the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab. The two sides also talked about the cooperation in military, agricultural and tourism fields, commercial cooperation and permitting the Israeli products to the Yemeni market.
"One of the most important issues was civil aviation and preparation for signing an agreement that allowing Israeli civil aviation to cross Yemen's airspace," said the spokesman.
A delegation of the Israeli Knesset visited Sana'a in March 1996 and received a remarkable hospitality. The delegation met with several senior security and civilian officials headed by former president Saleh. Many Israeli delegations visited Yemen between 1995 - 2000 under the cover of tourism, commerce and investment.
"On March 30, 2000, former President Saleh confirmed that he had previously met with Israeli President Weizman and that airing the meeting news by the Israeli Radio only ten minutes later, causing him severe embarrassment."
The former president confirmed on January 31, 1997 to an Arab official that there were visits by Israeli officials to Yemen, Sarie'a said citing official documents, adding that a former minister of Saleh's regime visited Tel Aviv.
The armed forces spokesman revealed documents, dated back to 2004, showed serious attempts to naturalize approximately 60,000 Israelis with Yemeni nationality, 15,000 of whom have American citizenship.
Concerning commercial cooperation, Sarie'a indicated that the former regime has gradually normalized with the Zionist enemy, who managed to have the former President Saleh's approval to allow some Israeli products to enter Yemeni markets.
He said that the USA ambassador to Sana'a praised on May 19, 1997 the decision of former President Saleh who decided to cancel the boycott of the second and third levels.
The armed forces spokesman accentuated that "the battle today is fatal, and confronting the Saudi-led aggression is meant to stand against Israeli plans and its mercenaries."
The various meetings and statements have been made by the aggression countries' regimes with the Zionist enemy are evidence to the cooperation and participation of Israel in the aggression on Yemen, he stressed.
He said "We have other evidence of the Israeli military participation in the aggression, and it will be revealed in due time".
Sarie'a said the news brief is a confirmation of what the Leader of the Revolution, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has said during his speech on the 6th anniversary of the September 21 revolution about the relations of the former regime with the Zionist entity.
I.M
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