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| "Apartheid Wall Analysis" (Photo by Peter Mulligan) |
As he struggles to bring Israelis and Palestinians closer on the four main issues that have long prevented a settlement of their conflict, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry now finds himself confronted with a fifth: Palestinians, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lately been saying, must recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
Given that Palestinian leaders have recognized Israel’s right to exist, as well as Netanyahu’s well-established resistance to making concessions, it’s fair to wonder whether he’s deliberately creating an obstacle to progress. At the same time, his rationale makes a certain amount of sense. If the Palestinians acknowledge that Jews have a legitimate claim in the land of Israel, won’t they be less likely, after a final accord is signed, to continue fighting for all of that land?
The flaw in this strategy, of course, is that simply saying something doesn’t make it true. There is a difference, especially in this context, between acknowledgment and acceptance. Netanyahu’s goal is both understandable and legitimate, but it is better pursued with a legal measure: a clause in a final peace agreement that will foreclose any claims on Israel.
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