Israeli leader turns down regional peace initiative

An Israeli newspaper reported on Saturday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turned down a regional peace initiative last year that was brokered by then-American Secretary of State John Kerry, in apparent contradiction to his stated goal of involving regional powers in resolving Israel's conflict with the Palestinians.

Haaretz reported that Netanyahu took part in a secret summit that Kerry organized in the southern Jordanian port city of Aqaba last February and included Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.

According to the report, which cited anonymous Obama administration officials, Kerry proposed regional recognition of Israel as a Jewish state â " a key Netanyahu demand â "alongside a renewal of peace talks with the Palestinians with the support of the Arab countries. Netanyahu reportedly rejected the offer, saying he would not be able to garner enough support for it in his hard-line coalition government.

The initiative was also reportedly the basis of shortlived talks with opposition leader Isaac Herzog to join the government, a plan that quickly unraveled when Netanyahu chose to bring in nationalist leader Avigdor Lieberman instead and appoint him defense minister. Herzog tweeted on Saturday that "history will definitely judge the magnitude of the opportunity as well as the magnitude of the missed opportunity."