We'll keep settlements: Benjamin Netanyahu 

ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected overnight to outline a peace plan under which Israel would keep the major Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Officials said his speech to the US congress would get international attention.
But the fragility of the peace process was highlighted yesterday when Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad had a heart attack.
Mr Fayyad is highly regarded by the US and the EU for his efforts against corruption and violence. He was in a stable condition.
After days of tough talks between US and Israeli officials, Mr Netanyahu was set to restate to congress elements of a speech he gave to the Knesset last week.
In that speech, he outlined the conditions for Israel to agree to a Palestinian state: Jerusalem would remain the united capital of Israel; Israel would retain "the settlement blocs"; the Palestinian state would not have any army; Israel would retain a military presence in the Jordan Valley; Palestinian refugees would not be able to return to Israel; the agreement must end the fighting; and Palestinians must recognise Israel as a Jewish state.

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Many in Mr Netanyahu's Likud party were angry he suggested he was prepared to concede settlements not part of the "blocs".
A strong supporters of the settlements, Tzipi Hotovely, said Israel should not give up any. She said later the Prime Minister had assured her it was not his intention to give up any settlements.
Mr Netanyahu yesterday addressed the leading US pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
"I want to assure you of one thing, (any peace) must leave Israel with security and therefore Israel cannot return to the indefensible 1967 lines," he said.
Mr Netanyahu rejected comments by US President Barack Obama the borders that existed before the 1967 war, along with mutually agreed land swaps, should underpin new peace talks.
Referring to his comments on the 1967 borders, Mr Obama told AIPAC on Sunday: "What I did on Thursday was to say publicly what has long been acknowledged privately. I have done so because we cannot afford to wait another decade, or another two decades, or another three decades to achieve peace."
The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported Mr Netanyahu's speech to congress would not divulge his "red lines" on borders.
"Netanyahu said he did not intend to appease Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) or the heads of state in Europe who have already announced they intend to support a UN General Assembly resolution about a Palestinian state within the 1967 lines," the paper said.
"Netanyahu intends to lambast the reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas and he will reject outright any possibility of the return of Palestinian refugees into Israel."