Trump invites Netanyahu to US for peace plan talks

US Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main election rival to Washington next week to discuss Donald Trump's long-awaited Middle East peace plan.

The White House said the talks would take place on Tuesday.

"President Trump asked me to extend an invitation to Prime Minister Netanyahu to come to the White House next week to discuss regional issues, as well as the prospect of peace here in the Holy Land", Pence said.

Netanyahu told Pence: "I think that the president is seeking to give Israel the peace and security it deserves," adding that he "gladly" accepted the invitation.

"Thank you for what your administration does every day... We have no better friend than President Trump," he said at the meeting at the US embassy in Jerusalem. Palestinian leaders have however dismissed the US peace initiative as one-sided.

They say it fails to address their wish to end Israeli occupation and the expansion, encouraged by Netanyahu, of ...