Netanyahu: Peace Talks and Jewish State

netanyahu: The secret meeting was first reported by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz1According to two former Obama administration officials, Kerry proposed regional recognition of Israel as a Jewish state a key Netanyahu demand alongside a renewal of peace talks with the Palestinians with the support of the Arab countries, according to Brandon Sun. Netanyahu rejected the offer, which would have required a significant pullout from occupied land, saying he would not be able to garner enough support for it in his hard-line coalition government. 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. The initiative also appeared to be the basis of short-lived talks with moderate 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 defence minister. Two former top aides to Kerry confirmed that the meeting took place secretly on Feb. 21, 2016. Herzog tweeted Sunday that history will definitely judge the magnitude of the opportunity as well as the magnitude of the missed opportunity. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.