Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit has denied reports in the Israeli media that a meeting took place between Gamal Mubarak, head of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP)'s Policies Secretariat and son of President Hosni Mubarak, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Israeli news reports, the meeting--which also allegedly included US President Barack Obama--took place in Washington last week at a business lunch, held on the sidelines of the launch of direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). “This is not the first time for Gamal Mubarak to accompany the president,” Abul-Gheit said. “Gamal is the president's son, and he can be with the president at any time.” Gamal Mubarak, 46, is seen by some political analysts as the strongest potential candidate to succeed his aging father in presidential elections slated for next year. A leading NDP member recently stated that any future Egyptian president "must first garner acceptance from the US and Israel." Egypt has close relations with the US and receives an annual US$1.3 billion in military aid from Washington. In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel, and has since played a prominent role in mediating between Tel Aviv and the PA. Translated from the Arabic Edition.