Your4 post a bit misleading. There is a difference between recognizing Israel as a state and recognizing Israel as a a Jewish state. I imagine the Palestinians do not want to recognize Israel as a Jewish state because the state might then (1) not accept any returnning arabs 2. Kick out non-Jews who have citizenship in that state.

Why should Arabs recognize Israel as a Jewish state if Lapid and most Leftists in Israel don't. STOP THE HYPOCRISY.

He is just a WIMP !

The Palestinians have made it very clear that they are unwilling to make a permanent peace unless Israel returns to the status quo ante of 1914, with all of Eretz Yisrael under a Muslim regime, with Muslims having first class citizenship and control of the government. Except for the hareidim, this is not acceptable to any non-Arab Israelis. Anything else is about negotiating an interim truce, no more.

How would American Jews react if Obama proposed to identify the United States as "The Christian State"? Put yourself in their place and you have the answer to "Why".

Palestinians are playing a con game with the West saying they want a 2 state solution implying Jewish and Muslim states when what they are demanding are the 1967 borders for one state and a right of return into Israel for a second Muslim state. They invent excuses when Israel or Kerry demand they accept a Jewish state. Palestinians will turn to the international community to try and sanction and boycott Israel to death instead. They will fail.

Defining Israel as a Jewish state creates problems for all: it gives Abbas an excuse to accuse Israel of not being democratic; it gives Palestinians hope of taking Israel over demographically, and making it just another Arab/Muslim state; it gives Haredim an excuse to impose Halacha (Jewish sharia). Instead demand recognition as Jewish homeland: a land where Jews will always have a rightful home, even if they are secular and even if other peoples live here too.

Why get tripped up over that one word? Israel has peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan. Neither of which describe Israel as a "Jewish" state.

For a real peace Palestinians must recognize Jews are historically from Judea just as Jews recognize Palestinian from Palestine, regardless of whether they're european Jews or arabian Palestinians. Let's be honest here for a change, apples don't come from orange trees.

UN resolution 181 called Israel a Jewish State, so agreeing to this would end Pals rejection of Israel's right to exist. They never really voted to accept Israel, no one voted Arafat banged hi gavel and said it passed, There is no such thing as an Arab country that allows any Jews to exist therein! Or Christians for that matter!

Like in any country in the world, Israel is belongs to its citizens. The debate seems to be about immigration policies, about who can come to Israel and be admitted as a citizen. Recognize Israel as the Israeli State and move forward with agreeing on peace.

I assume not. Then why do we demand that from the palestinians?

Have the Jewish People ever recognized Israel as their state? How about a referendum?

All of our neighbors are Islamic States that others recognize as States. It is their decision to be Islamic. Israel only need universal recognition, We who live here will determine the nature of the State. Our declaration of Independence insures the right of all of our minorities.

... 850,000 Mizrahim, who were expelled from 11 Arab countries in 1948 ? Half-million found their new home in Israel; the others are scattered around the world. Since the 11 Arab countries are guilty of "Jewish Nakba", they must accept all Palestinian "refugees" on their territories and give them citizenship. That will be the solution to the problem, based on the principles of justice and reciprocity. Amen.

B"H - "The Palestinians are not willing to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. But why?" - you ask. There is one good, short and crisp answer to this: Because it ain't! Israel is a rigorously secular, read kofer state!

they have to say the words and we will be happy? All will be well when they simply say the words? How stupid is that. In 1964 they claimed to want nothing at all and made no claim to Judea and Samaria in their PLO charter, but changed it after. So what is stopping them from changing it again. The US? seriously, if that is the case, why hasn't anyone listened to or heard the 1964 claim of not wanting Judea or Semaira. Of for that matter only in 1988 did they say they wanted Jerusalem as their capital. Yeah, only if they say the words can their be peace...and this isn't ridiculous?

It's quite possible that Apples could one day come from Orange Trees Always thought you were a bit fruity! I wonder What would happen if large numbers of Palestinians now living in WB gradually decided to convert to Judaism

As head of PLO, Abbas cannot recognize Israel as a Jewish State because it is illegal: the PLO constitution views all of Israel as a single entity that cannot be divided and must be "liberated" from Jewish contamination. Even if Abbas wanted to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, he would need to call the PNC to change the constitution, something he does not want to do.

The reporter should not write that 700,000 became 4 million! With die offs they became many less than 700,000! The descendants are not refugees and have no legitimate claims for repatriation. All of us have family histories that recall other geographies, but we don't demand anything from our grandfather's place of birth.

end the confrontation.

Many WB Arabs were likely forced to convert to Islam during the Islamic conquest of the Promised Land - the lost sheep of the house of Israel returning?

Look at Balfour and the League of Nations Mandate. The Arab state is the 77% of Palestine given to the Arab KIngdom of Jordan. The other 23% was meant for the Jewish national home. The present West Bank and Gaza is proposed as the second Pal state, and once it would have an Arab majority Israel would turn into the third Arab state.

The root cause is simple. The (unchangeable) koran clearly states that Judiasm is dead (and Christianity corrupt); both having been superseded by islam. Therefore,the mere existence of a single, living, breathing Jew, not to mention an entire Jewish Nation, questions the core of islam. When can we start to talk about this? Educate yourselves: thereligionofpeace.com jihadwatch.org Islam 101

A arge percentage of palestinians see two states as getting the foot in the door to the eventual liberation of all Palestine. We give them a state today in the post 1967 border,the world rejoiced but what happens 5-10 years later? The fighting spirit has died down and the people are having to deal with the day-day hardships of independence. What is to stop hardline revolutionaries rousing up the people saying we were cheated and we have a holy duty to liberate the rest of Palestine? Recognze Israel as a Jewish state and your wavering the right to liberation of the rest of Paestine because you gave it to the Jews. The arabs in Israel also loose their main ally so they need to get their act together decide if they are going to be loyal citizens of a Jewish state or not because they no longer have external arab allies.

The station is very different to with Egypt & Jordan. With Egypt and Jordan they were two established countries with recognised borders, they were not revolutionaries they were just trying to get rid of an enemy they believed had no right to be there so they want to war and when they signed peace treaties the only land that concerned them was what they lost. The palestinians are looking for a state and are DESCENDED from refugees of 1948 so they naturally believe that Israel belongs to them to make it even more troublesome this is not just a territorial issue like Sinai the land they believe belongs to them is the holy land so you brought religion into it. Recognition of Israel as a JEWSH state is essential to long term peace

Jews do not accept conversion in one minute as the Islam and the Christians do. If anyone want to convert, he/she have to prove that they really want to convert because they love the Jewish religion, and you have to study about Jewish religion such as, Kashrut, to observe Sabbath/Jewish Festivals, and many many things. Have to wait for 3/5 years before conversation. Not easy to convert to Judaism

the Arabia is the state for Arabs. So, the Arabs can freely return to Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabia will not alow Arabs to return to Arabia though almost all, if not all, Arabs want to return to Arabia.

... then what's the point in even talking to them? Let them live somewhere else. Take back Gaza and the West Bank and Israel will be whole again.