Abbas: Will not acknowledge a Jewish state

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinians will not acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state, and criticized the Quartet's demands of the Palestinians. "Don't order us to acknowledge a Jewish state. We won't have it," said Abbas.

In response, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman claimed Abbas's statement "reveals the true nature of the September motion: A Palestinian state instead of a Jewish state. Countries around the world must make it clear to Abu Mazen that the only way the Palestinians will be able to have a state is by stopping their attempt to destroy the only Jewish state in the world." (Elior Levy and Ronen Medzini)