Netanyahu to Unveil Peace Plan in US Speech

Benjamin Netanyahu will unveil Israel’s version of a Middle East peace plan in a speech before the US Congress next month, he and John Boehner each announced yesterday. The plan is seen as an attempt to push back against Palestine’s current campaign to be recognized as a state by the UN, the Wall Street Journal reports. Israel views that effort as an end run around bilateral peace talks.

Palestine has already won endorsements from the World Bank and IMF, which have certified it as ready to function as a sovereign state. So far, there are no details available about Netanyahu’s counter-offer, but the prime minister boasted that it would “bring a secure peace between us and our neighbors. Not a peace on paper, not a peace of ceremonies and lawns, but a peace that will last.” (More Palestine stories.)