Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Palestinians Reject Israeli Freeze on West Bank; Required Recognition of Israel as a Jewish State

The Telegraph (British) website reports today (October 12, 2010) that Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister, had offered to extend a partial freeze on Jewish building in the West Bank -- but only in exchange for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.

Palestinian officials rejected the offer within minutes after it was made.

The Palestinian Authority -- while acknowledging Israel's right to exist -- has long resisted calls to recognize it as a Jewish state, saying such a move would discriminate against Israel's large Arab minority and prejudice negotiations over the fate of millions of Palestinian refugees.

The current impasse leaves the prospect of an Israeli-Palestinian peace resolution very unlikely in the near future.

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