Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli newspaper is reporting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered the country's opposition leader a unity government late last year that would promote a regional peace initiative — before backing out.
Haaretz reports Sunday that Netanyahu sent a document to Isaac Herzog detailing a willingness to make compromises for the creation of a Palestinian state and to rein in West Bank Jewish settlement construction.
The offer reportedly came months after Netanyahu took part in a secret summit in Jordan that then-Secretary of State John Kerry organized to try and launch a drive for an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord.
According to the report, plans were already underway for a dramatic press conference announcing the new initiative brokered by Egypt and Jordan, but that Netanyahu eventually backtracked for domestic political considerations.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.