The Arab League has apparently softened its long-standing peace offer to Israel of recognition in return for the creation of a Palestinian state. The 2002 Arab Peace Initiative pledges normalized relations and full recognition if Israel withdraws completely from the occupied territories seized in 1967. But at a meeting in Washington this week, the Arab League said it is open to a deal that would see Israel retain part of the West Bank under land swaps with the Palestinians. Israel has long dismissed the original Arab peace offer because it wants to keep the large, illegal settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank. In Washington, Secretary of State John Kerry praised the new initiative.

John Kerry: “The Arab community — and I think they should be thanked for this — saw fit to come to the United States as a delegation of the Arab League to make it clear that they are relaunching the Arab Peace Initiative. All of them have agreed, number one, that they would consider the conflict ended; number two, that they would establish the normalization of relations with Israel; number three, that they would enter into peace agreements with Israel; and number four, that they would provide security for all states in the region.”