Axios: Netanyahu Turns Down Putin Offer to Host Palestinian Summit

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has turned down Vladimir Putin's offer to host a summit with Palestinian leaders out of deference to President Donald Trump, Axios is reporting.

Netanyahu didn't want to undercut Trump's forthcoming Middle East peace plan, Axios reports.

"I want to see the U.S. initiative through," Netanyahu told Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, who extended the offer on behalf of Putin, Axios reported.

Lavrov was in Israel for talks about Syria.

Putin had offered to host Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Moscow, the second time the Russian president has made such an offer, and the second time Netanyahu has rejected it, Axios reports.

Netanyahu and Abbas have not met since 2010.

It's not clear when the Trump administration will roll out its peace plan, 18 months now in the making.

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