According to the translated summary offered by the Israeli Government Press Office today, the Ma’ariv newspaper writes in its editorial today that: “In our peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, and in the various Oslo accords (as well as in the Roadmap), the definition of the state of Israel as Jewish state, as the state of the Jewish people, does not appear.”
The GPO summary reports that Maariv argues, in its editorial today, that: “The heart of the problem is that the Arab countries and the Palestinians (as well as some Israeli Jews) are not – in any way – prepared to recognize the State of Israel as a Jewish state, as the State of the Jewish People” … for three reasons: “The first is ideological-psychological – the unwillingness to countenance the existence of a Jewish state within the Arab-Islamic world … The second reason has to do with the Palestinian refugees of 1948 – recognizing the Jewish state basically means conceding the right of these refugees to return to Israel … The third reason is the Israeli Arabs…whose leaders openly declare that they absolutely do not recognize Israel as a Jewish state.”
According to the summary translation, Maariv states in its editorial that “The Annapolis conference must be a test for the Palestinians and the Arab countries: Are they prepared for a simple call for the vision of two states – for the Jewish people and for the Palestinian people or do they oppose this? This is the elementary basis for any structure of peace, for any future discussion.”
Tags: Israel, Jewish State, Palestinians