ElBaradei's spokesman Mark Gwozdecky confirmed that the pair had met for over an hour in Jerusalem, but he had no immediate word on the outcome of the talks.

The meeting came on the final day of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general ElBaradei's first visit to Israel in six years on a mission which has seen him campaigning to make the Middle East a nuclear-free zone.

His drive suffered a setback Wednesday when Israeli officials raised their fears about the atomic program in Iran, which has been under investigation by the IAEA since February 2003 for allegedly hiding a secret weapons program.

"Israel has its own threat perception which it believes is unique" as the country believes "it is the only state (in the region) that faces an existential threat", Gwozdecky told reporters after ElBaradei met Israel Atomic Energy Commission chief Gideon Franck.

Most foreign experts believe Israel possesses a nuclear arsenal of up to 200 warheads, although it has stuck for the past 40 years to a policy of "strategic ambiguity" of neither confirming nor denying this.

In comments before ElBaradei's arrival in Israel on Tuesday, Sharon indicated he saw no need for a change in the long-standing policy.

"Israel is obliged to hold in its own hands all the force components needed for its defence," he said. "Our policy of ambiguity on nuclear arms has proved its worth, and it will continue."

Israel is not a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which is administered by the IAEA, but ElBaradei is hoping to persuade Sharon's government to sign up to other agreements with his agency.

He is expected to push for an agreement that would involve Israel informing the IAEA about Israeli imports and exports of nuclear-related material.

Experts have said that ElBaradei's mission is more of a political gesture to convince Arab states that the IAEA is as concerned about Israel as it is about Iran.

ElBaradei had told Israeli officials that "Arab nations feel Israel is treated differently", as it is not investigated by the IAEA since it has not signed the NPT, Gwozdecky said.

In a bid to illustrate the "unique" nature of Israel's position, ElBaradei was taken Wednesday on a flight over the country by a senior military official that skirted the borders with Lebanon and Syria, both still technically at war with Israel.

A senior diplomat who asked not to be named said ElBaradei was shown the vulnerability of Israel where planes can fly from "one border to another in three-and-a-half minutes".

As well as meeting with Sharon, ElBaradei was also expected to hold talks on Thursday with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom as well as to give a speech at a university in Jerusalem.

WAR.WIRE