Okay, John Kerry says it should not be a demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state. How about not wanting millions of Palestinians to return to their purported homes in Israel proper? Or not wanting the Palestinians to fire missiles into Israel aimed at the civilian population? I still do not understand where Hamas or Gaza fits into the Kerry peace plan. I wonder if he does! I don't think so!

ask Kerry if its OK for the Pope to demand that the Vatican stays Catholic.

If it is so clear that Israel is a Jewish state why it is so difficult for the palestinians to accept it and recognize so. The other thing is.. If palestinians include all the factions, how can we make peace with one part of the palestinians when the other side ( Hamas et company) does not accept it? What will happen if Israel signs a peace accord with Fatah and tomorrow Hamas wins an election in Ramallah? will they feel responsible to keep any accord? And if Abbas accepts that Israel is a Jewish state, can we ask all those who are not jews to leave? It seems to me that the Obama administration believes that fixing the issue of the palestinians will bring peace to the Middle East. Did they learned that today the Midlle East is being destroyed by moslems against moslems? Sunnis against shia? Or the Obama administration think that it is easier to squeeze Israel into accepting a deal, knowing that they could not deal with the biggest problem that is the moslem world itself.

This precondition is not new. Netanyahu is always creating obstacles to nullify any peace talks with the Palestinians. If Netanyahu is right, then the peace treaties between Israel and Jordan/Egypt should be nullified because they never recognized Israel as a Jewish State.

Kerry and Obama are peace brokers in fantasyland. both will exit and a peace deal will not be signed. takes two to tango!

Kerry doesn't seem very concerned that Palestinians want to keep a right of return into Israel. What he's worried about is that the Palestinians don't like acknowledging the Jewish state. Israel and Jews in general will have to be very alert because Obama and Kerry are more concerned with giving Palestinians a state than giving Israel a secure peace. Isn't that so, Mr. Kerry?

The Jordan Valley and Swathes of Land in Judea and Samaria ought be antiWMD and antiTerror Mega Security.Later Jewish and Arab cities may be mixed in Between When Moderation and Humanitarianism Dominate.The essential is Israel will Be A State Secure for all Jews .Iron Clad Secure.

is a Jewish state is such a hard pill for the bastards to say, do you really think they will uphold any of the other points of the agreement??? Wake up Kerry and leave us alone.

I guess Putin has learned about Americas resolve in sticking to principles. As for a Jewish state - the PLO's and Hamas position is that being Jewish is simply a religion not an ethnic group or a nation. The Jews attachment is to the country he dwells in and they have neither a special history or right to what is called the Land of Israel. Therefore even if a peace treaty is signed a new demand ending Israel's right of return to the Jewish people, having Hatikva as an anthem, etc. Did Kerry forget that Arafat denied that there was ever a Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

Truly, truly amazing that the US Secretary of State is missing the point about our insisting the Palestinians recognize Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. As the article also makes note, there are implications regarding the right of return of Palestinians who chose to leave during times of war. Well, the Palestinians want the murderers released, all of Jerusalem and right of return. I want a winning lottery ticket.

kerry is weak, like herzog and makes concession after concession. Israel has bent over backwards so far. yet when it asks as a minimum to recognize jewish state of israel,abbas says no and kerry backs him up. he fails to understand that recognition means end of state of war and nulifies palestinian return. What a gutless foreign secretary is kerry. ] Ukraine has no chance with kerry of ever regaining crimea. Israel should prevent kerry from continuing on with his misguided gutless peace process. we knew this beforehand but because bibi is scared in his boots of saying no, he agreed to kerry's process. Bibi should step down as he is done.

as Palestinian Daniella??? How hard is it to declare the Temple Mount Islamic and Christian??? The Palestinians have already agreed to not flood Israel with millions of refugees. We are talking 200,000 max here, which is basically a trade off of the amount of people which will lose Israeli Identity cards in East Jerusalem.

"While the US has appeared to back the recognition of Israel as a "Jewish state," the State Department insisted Friday that the issue was still up for negotiation." Appeared? This makes you the same double-talking clown as your boss, Skeletor. I'd hate to hear what you sound like when you are drunk.

have to read this article to know the mistake is KERRY. Why bother with this one when there are better and more informative articles to read.

Kerry can't give us even the slimmest fig leaf--Which is a simple declaration from Abbas that Israel is a Jewish State. We are asked to pay with territory, and mass expulsions, and we can get a simple, stinking sentence. If we can't get this then the rest of this deal is garbage. Kerry is now taking Abbas side. Send Kerry packing.

Kerry does jot hate Jews, israel or anybody else wholesale. However, the Arabs hate the Jews and the Jewish state. Abbas either recognizes the Jewish state and ceases all claims against it. Especially the rignt of return for so called Arab refugees. No claims means no claims. Period. Bibi is right on this issue

It is 100% true that this man is only interested in his own glory. He can't get his way and looks like a child throwing a tantrum...seek help. Meanwhile, allow us to continue enjoying a peace that you actually disrupted!

This will be very helpful. Good thinking, Kerry.

Egypt and Jordan were not trying to overturn the Jewish majority in Israel. The Palestinians are trying to make Israel a Muslim majority country. Palestinian supporters can convince some naive Jewish idiots but most Jews are not idiots and there is no way they will allow Palestinians to overturn the Jewish majority and Jewish culture in Israel. Palestinians can stop dreaming that they can BS everybody.

It's a shame if Kerry is offended that his not ethical offers are not accepted

Why no Jewish leader stands up to the world and say. Jewish state means, when you take your 4 weeks annual leave in the sun in Fiji, we burn it between Rosh Hashana, Kippur, Succot, Simhat Torah, Passover and the rest. A Jewish state means Jews have their statutory holidays on festivals like any other goy on earth and annual holidays like any other goy on earth. Why should we live under others people's law?

How hard is it for the arabs to recognize a Jewish state, if they really want peace.

the three stooges. THRILLED TO BUILD!!!!!! kerry buzz off.

Why didn't Israel make these conditions to Egypt and Jordan when they signed a peace treaty. It's obvious Netanyahu is using this to derail the peace negotiations.

Huh ? Congratulation Kerry on your graduation ! Prior he may have been a rank and file moron - with this latest statement he has achieved the honored status of a bona fide idiot, who is unable to differentiate between blinding wishful thinking and the Reality on the ground. Bibi, do not cave in to this Jew baiting secretary's and his closet muslim boss demands.

... but please do not presume to tell the Jewish people what is best for the Jewish people, and what does or does not constitute a mistake. What you perceive as a "mistake," we see as a perfectly legitimate entitlement by the victor in six defensive wars. It's a simple quid pro quo -- why hasn't it raised suspicions in your dim brain about the ulterior motives of the "Palestinians," that they should continue to refuse this rather simple demand. Compared to the demands the six-time vanquished "Palestinians" have leveled upon the sovereign State of Israel, this is nothing. And, most importantly -- don't you think you have an obligation to remain neutral?