Opinion
Calling Mahmoud Abbas' bluff
Rafael Castro
Published: 18.03.14, 09:45
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34 Talkbacks for this article
1. Illegitimacy of Palestinian concerns
Igor ,   Germany   (03.18.14)
The analogy with a hypothetical resolution declaring the USA a Christian nation is flawed. Christianity is and never was an ethnicity. Jews have been a people for over 3000 years and have been internationally considered a nation since 1917. The right analogy would be to a declaration that Germany is a German nation (as it is, by Art. 116 of the Basic Law and by the Federal Expellee Law), or Poland Polish (Constitution, Art. 52(5)).
2. A Jewish majority is temporary in the eyes of the Arabs
Zev ,   Israel   (03.18.14)
and a statement recognizing the present Jewish majority in Israel would mean absolutely nothing in order to stop any further Arab claims on Israel and ending the conflict.
3. Absolutely
Sam ,   Kfar Saba   (03.18.14)
Make this justifiably about Israel's intransigence regarding any Right of Return for Palestinian "refugees", rather than recognition of Israel as a "Jewish State" and making a fool of ourselves (again).
4. Reason why Pls refuse
Mark ,   Israel   (03.18.14)
Reason why Pls refuse to Israel demand is simple. They keep open door for future Israel Arabs demands for autonomy and possible splitting off like Kosovo and Crimea.
5. Security for Jews and Arabs
Zechariah   (03.18.14)
Security for Jews and Arabs will be Better if a Tough and Highly Capable and Moral Armed Capacity Exists in the Jordan Valley Area and throughout the Land dedicated to Preventing WMD attacks from anywhere particularly Iran at this Time .The Force needs Vast capacity and commitment.The makeup oh the force is in conflict but many will have to be from the Israel Defense Forces as the Jews are the Minority in the area .
6. Nothing will make arobs give peace. There will be no peace
Moshe ,   Usa   (03.18.14)
with arobs for 1000 years.
7. Abbas is not bluffing
(03.18.14)
The problem with the Left is that they live in a fantasy world devoid of connection to reality. Abbas is head of the PLO and is bound to follow the PLO Charter. If Abbas wanted peace with Israel like the Leftists say, he would convene the PNC according to article 33, change the Charter and negotiate. But Abbas is not bluffing: he is faithful to the PLO Charter and he sees that victory is within his grasp thanks to the Israeli Left and American Jews.
8. Israel as a Jewish State
John H ,   Mansfield USA   (03.18.14)
Netanyahu is a gift to Israel. The man has backbone and a vision for the country he loves and has served so well. I fully support his stand on insisting for recognition of Israel as a state with Jewish majority. To be soft in this arena is a major mistake that would take years to recover.
9. Have Palestinians have won this round?
Steve Klein   (03.18.14)
Have they won because Obama and Kerry do not have the courage to stand up to Mahmoud Abbas and the Arab world on a point of moral principle? Keep in mind Obama's national party platform avoided referring to Jerusalem as Israel's capital until he was embarrassed into including it, but even then the vote by the delegates was uncertain. Nonetheless the motion passed making Jerusalem Israel's (eternal) capital according to Obama and his party. Yet Obama's State Department cannot say exactly where Israel's capital is when asked by a reporter. For me it matters not what the Palestinians recognize or do not recognize. The land of Israel belongs to Israel's Jews. What Obama should say to Israel is this: "If you like your land, you can keep your land; Period!"
10. Recognition works both ways
Michael ,   Haifa   (03.18.14)
If we insist on the Palestinians recognizing the "Jewishness" of the State of Israel, a demand we have made from nobody else, including Egypt and Jordan, why don't we rename ourselves as the "Jewish State of Israel" just like the Islamic Republic of Iran or the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ? This way, the whole world would have to recognize us, not simply as "Israel"
11. No. Demand recognition of Israel as the Jewish Homeland
(03.18.14)
A state is temporary. A homeland is permanent.
12. This is really good article
Adi ,   Zurich   (03.18.14)
This is really good article
13. Jewish State
Elie Abitbol ,   Thornhill, Canada   (03.18.14)
Dear Mr. Castro Does Israel really need the palestinians to recognize it as a Jewish State ? Israel is a Jewish State, ! with them or without them. Mr. Netanyahu is only using this issue as a bargaining tool. So please do not water down the issue. Being flexible eventually on this one will allow Israel to be inflexible on the most important one : the future of Jerusalem ! That will be the RED line !
14. Reply to #1
Rafael Castro ,   Earth   (03.18.14)
Jews are unique in that they are both a people and a religious group. Your claim that a “Christian” America doesn’t resemble a “Jewish” Israel can be countered by a hypothetical declaration of America becoming officially “WASP”. As far as Germany being officially German and Poland officially Polish, these labels reflect the fact that when their constitutions were drafted these countries were extremely homogeneous countries – which is not the case of either Israel or the USA.
15. Israeli actions more important than Palestinian statements
Sam ,   Canada   (03.18.14)
Palestinians can renege on their declarations. So, Israeli actions are more important. That means to keep Israel's majority and Jewish culture it should 1) not allow a Palestinian right of return 2)not annex the West Bank 3) not give West Bank Palestinians Israeli citizenship 4) adapt to any new circumstances. Those are more secure than any Palestinian declaration.
16. What's wrong with recognising as the State of Israel ? ,...
split ,   US   (03.18.14)
17. #10 I will explain
(03.18.14)
Let me explain, slowly. PLO has recognized the fact of Israel's existence but not Israel's right to exist. In fact, Charter articles 1, 2, 7, 13, 15, 16, 18 and 19 (and others) explicitly deny Israel's right to exist and demand Israel's destruction. Even more, Charter article 20 denies Israel's existence anywhere in the world. You are right that Netanyahu is full of it, but not for the reasons you mention. Netanyahu should not negotiate with Abbas until PLO Charter is changed according to Article 33.
18. Mike @ 10 ,...
split ,   US   (03.18.14)
Check the definition of a 'Republic', there's no room for rabbinate at the steering wheel, it won't fly in Israel ,...
19. dont we know they will always kill us
alan ash ,   monroe township   (03.18.14)
dont we know they will always kill us . we can not be so nieve to believe they will ever give us peace.
20. #17 "the slow explainer"
Michael ,   Haifa   (03.18.14)
The Oslo Agreement ,signed both by the PLO and Israel, provided mutual recognition between both sides to the dispute. The clauses, cited by #17, have as much standing as a bunch of Israeli right-wing old farts, singing "Both Sides of the Jordan".
21. 6M Jews, 9M Palestinians, not a Jewish majority, simple math
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (03.18.14)
22. RAPHAEL, YOURE RUINING THE HEAVENLY TIME FRAME
...DACON9   (03.18.14)
We have to fill in a certain amount of time until the show is over. This is just the 'lead in' act. The lesser known unimportant part/// THEN THE MAIN ACT COMES OUT THE TRUMPETS BLAST EVERYONE IS STARTLED MASHIACH IS HERE !!!
23. Modern Israel
Julie ,   Israel   (03.18.14)
was officially established and recognized as "The Homeland for the Jewish People" Any non-Jew staying here at that time or moving here later did so knowingly or in ignorance. They can live in the Jewish state or not....their choice.
24. Israel as a Jewish State
Abe Mizrahi ,   Mamaroneck N.Y.USA   (03.18.14)
We should compose a statement saying" The Palestinian Authority recognizes the Statement of the U.N.Assaembly of November 1947regarding the partetion of Palestine into an Arab State and a Jewish State". This will achieved Israeli objective and save Palestinian face.
25. Pinhead @ 12 - these countries were extremely homogeneous ,.
spl;it ,   US   (03.18.14)
You're an ignorant or lousy hasbara peddler, pick one ,... At the time of implementing Polish Constitution, (first in Europe and a few years after US) Poland had a millions of Ukrainians and Lithuanians, 1.5 million Jews, 1 million ethnic Germans and dozens of other minorities made of religious and ethnic groups in her borders, with the same rights (at least on the paper) guarantied by Constitution that ethnic Poles had ,... Germany didn't even exist at that time it was a loose cluster of sovereign and semi-sovereign German speaking states ,... Gosh ,...
26. #20
(03.18.14)
The Oslo Agreement is available on the Internet. Point out where PLO recognizes Israel's right to exist. You can't. Oslo, signed when PLO was at a nadir, is implementation of the "plan of stages" approved by the PNC that allowed accepting limited territorial gains. You, an anonymous poster in Haifa, says that the PLO Charter is no valid. Can you point to any Palestinian that agrees with you? Can you mention when the special meeting of the PNC according to article 33 was convened to negate the Charter, and the names of who voted for and who against?
27. #14 Uniqueness & WASPs
Igor ,   Germany   (03.18.14)
I agree that Jews are unique, therefore every comparison is necessarily flawed. However, some are more flawed than others. For example, WASPs have never been a people, a religion, or a nation. They have no 3000 years of history in the USA, no archeological artifacts reminding them of their culture, don't speak the language spoken there 3000 years ago… A better (although still imperfect) comparison would be a hypothetical declaration of Nunavut as an Inuit territory (as it actually is).
28. Correction ,...
split ,   US   (03.18.14)
I should have said 'German speaking principalities' ,...
29. #26 "an even more anonymous talkbacker"
Michael ,   Haifa   (03.19.14)
Two statements in the Preamble to the Oslo Accord: REAFFIRMING their determination to put an end to decades of confrontation and to live in peaceful coexistence, mutual dignity and security, while recognizing their mutual legitimate and political rights; REAFFIRMING their adherence to the mutual recognition and commitments expressed in the letters dated September 9, 1993, signed by and exchanged between the Prime Minister of Israel and the Chairman of the PLO; Clearly, facts are something for you that are determined solely at your convenience
30. A smart Israeli P.M. would end "peace talks" charade.
Chaim ,   Israel   (03.18.14)
A smart Israeli P.M. would adopt Israel's courageous former policy of never talking with terrorists. A smart Israeli P.M. would permanently end the evil "peace talks with Palestinians" charade. "Palestinians" are mortal foes and must be treated as such.
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