Abbas says won't recognize Israel as Jewish state

[bemildred]

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Monday calls by the new right-leaning Israeli government to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, an issue emerging as a main obstacle to peacemaking.

"I do not accept it," the Western-backed Abbas said. "It is not my job to give a description of the state. Name yourself the Hebrew Socialist Republic -- it is none of my business."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement last week it would be impossible to make progress on the diplomatic track and reach a peace agreement without Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.

But Netanyahu said he had not made such recognition a precondition for opening peace negotiations. Netanyahu has shied away from endorsing the creation of a Palestinian state, a main goal of U.S.-backed peace talks that are currently frozen.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE53Q2ZU20090427

[ROakes1019]

1. Jewish state

The problem with recognizing Israel as Jewish state is that it would include the present borders, wall and settlements, and not the boundaries from '67.

[stray cat]

2. Are you sure?

[bemildred]

3. Nah, I think it's more about fending off the one-state solution.

But that could have implications down the road for the issues you speak of, in the sense that if one recognizes Israel as a Jewish State, then one must also recognize those things which would serve to make it so, or keep it so. But all of this is empty rhetoric unless it entails actions that change the current drift of events, short term political posturing and maneuvering. Like the constant stream of blather about Iran, it is a distraction, a way of avoiding issues that one does not want to talk about by talking about something else.

[rateyes]

4. Israel should be a secular state. There shouldn't be any

religious states.

[oberliner]

5. Israel is a secular state

If you don't want any religion states then you've got your work cut out for you in the Middle East.

Maybe start with Saudi Arabia?

[rateyes]

6. And, it should remain that way. Why would Israel want to be recognized

as a "Jewish State," then. And, I agree with you about Saudi Arabia, et al.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

8. You've previously denied that Israel is a racist state.

If "Jewish state" doesn't mean a racist state, and doesn't mean a religious state, I don't see that that leaves anything that it *could* mean.

I fully agree with you that Israel is nowhere *near* the most egregiously religious state out there, though.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

19. The question isn't "what is religious?" The question is: "what do you mean by Jewish?" nt

[azurnoir]

7. So does this phrase "Jewish State" replace

"right to exist"? in avoidance phraseology? or is it something to do with the approximately 1,413,300 Israeli Arabs or Palestinians that have Israeli citizenship or both?

[IndianaGreen]

9. No, this is Bibi's tactic of adding additional conditions for a Palestine state.

If the Palestinians were to accept Bibi's demand, he would just come up with another demand or excuse to continue to drag his feet. Meanwhile new settlements will continue to go up, and more Palestinian homes will continue to be razed.

[Douglas Carpenter]

10. I agree. Netanyahu is fishing for a deal breaker

[ProgressiveMuslim]

11. It's advance "hoopology." Too bad Abbas didn't tell him to fuck off before Obama gave the green

light to dissent.

[delad]

12. couldn't agree more

once they agree to this, what would come next? to recognise Israel as a medium rare steak?

[ProgressiveMuslim]

16. and then to admit that A-1 is the best accompaniment... nt

[azurnoir]

15. That is what I meant by "avoidance phraseology"

but it also occurred to me that for the PA to "recognize" Israel as the "Jewish State" would undoubtedly have back wash were Israeli Arabs are concerned also as in loyalty oath to the "Jewish State"

[ProgressiveMuslim]

17. Two jumps with one hoop, so to speak...

[Matilda]

13. If the Palestinians recognise Israel as a Jewish state,

it will compromise the "right of return" of the Arab population that were forced out in 1948.

Also, as an earlier poster said, there is the question of the borders of Israel - they should not include Palestinian
territories annexed after 1967.

[bemildred]

14. Israel: PA recognition of Jewish state 'crucial' for reconciliation

The Foreign Ministry said Monday that Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state was 'crucial' for reconciliation between the two sides after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Israeli calls to do so.

"Recognition of Israel as the sovereign state of the Jewish people is an essential and necessary step in the historic reconciliation process between Israel and the Palestinians," the ministry said in a statement.

"The sooner the Palestinians internalize this basic and essential fact, peace between the two peoples will progress and come to fruition."

Abbas made his comments on the issue, which emerging as a main obstacle to peacemaking, in a speech earlier in the day.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1081534.html

[ProgressiveMuslim]

18. Doesn't cessation of war crimes usually precede reconciliation?

[bemildred]

20. We both know this is Orwelling drivel. nt

[bemildred]

21. The Condition for a Settlement with the Palestinians is their Belief in Zionism

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is promoting the slogan "Iran first, and then peace in the region." It is a slogan that does not conflict very much with the policy orientations of the new US government. Perhaps it can be marketed easily in Europe and the Middle East. The developments of the last three years have proven something that Israeli believes, and the US and regional countries endorse: namely, that Iran is the key to wars. Tehran supports the resistance of Hezbollah and Hamas. It is the country that supports "terror." It coordinates on this with Damascus, overlooking the previous agreements with Egypt and Jordan and some other Arab countries and the Palestinians. In addition, it is the only country that can prevent an Iraqi-Israeli understanding, due to its strong influence in Baghdad.

When promoting Lieberman's slogan, Israel benefits from any Arab-Iranian tension. This is happening now, after the recent crisis between Cairo and Tehran, as Egyptian security agencies unveiled a "Hezbollah network," portraying its activity as a conspiracy against Egyptian national security, and against peace, and not a network to support the Palestinian resistance. David Pollock, from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said that Cairo, with this move, is sending a message to Washington, that the Iranian nuclear issue is not the only urgent item at present; there are other levels of the Iranian threat, which are more urgent, such as its support for movements that reject any political settlement of the Palestinian issue.

===

In addition to the "Iran first" slogan, Netanyahu is bringing with him an entire program for the region, which includes conditions for agreeing to a settlement with the Palestinians: before beginning negotiations, they must recognize the Jewishness of the state of Israel, and that Jerusalem is the eternal, united capital of Israel. The settlements that have been erected will remain, and the separation wall will not be demolished, to preserve the security of settlers. It is forbidden to talk about the right of return, "even if about the return of a single refugee," as Lieberman said.

Israel is requesting something very simple from the Palestinians: Embrace the principles of Zionism, so that we will negotiate with you, as Alov Ben wrote in Haaretz, and then we will negotiate with you…about nothing.

http://english.daralhayat.com/opinion/OPED/04-2009/Article-20090428-ed23aa2d-c0a8-10ed-00fa-e78fb5ec0557/story.html

[UndertheOcean]

22. Well , would blacks and Native Americans in the USA recognise America as a "White State"

I don't think so

[Alamuti Lotus]

23. the words of this collaborator do not match his actions

while he may say this or that, the quisling continues to act as a full US/Israeli client, enriching his family with the business of 'aid' programs and other kickbacks.