Seit vier Jahren verlangt Israel von den Palästinensern, dass sie Israel als jüdischen Staat anerkennen müssen bevor Israel überhaupt zu Verhandlungen bereit sei. Interessanterweise wurde eine Anerkennung als jüdischer Staat anlässlich der Friedensverhandlungen weder von Jordanien noch Ägypten eingefordert. Mit der UNO Res. 273 wurde Israel ende April 1949 nicht als jüdischer Staat, sondern schlicht als Israel, mit entsprechenden Auflagen, aufgenommen. Die Auflagen wurden von Israel bis heute nicht erfüllt. Auch die USA anerkannten Israel als Israel und nicht als jüdischer Staat (view). Nicht unbegründet ist die Angst der Palästinenser, dass ein jüdischer Staat die Rechte der Nichtjuden in Israel und in den besetzten Gebieten in Zukunft auf legale Weise aberkennen könnte - insbesondere die UNO Res. 194. FP 17. Okt. 2011

al-Akhbar Published Friday, October 7, 2011

Israel’s Jewishness: Precondition for Palestinian Statehood
By Jonathan Cook

Israel’s demand for recognition of its Jewishness has become so entwined with the peace process, it is sometimes forgotten that it was first raised at the diplomatic level only four years ago. Martin Indyk, a former US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, observed of the new diplomatic stalemate: “As well as being wrapped around the settlements freeze axle, we now seem to be wrapped around the ‘Jewish state’ axle too.”

In his speech to the UN last month, Netanyahu referred to the “Jewish state” 10 times, and concluded: “The core of the conflict has always been and unfortunately remains the refusal of the Palestinians to recognize a Jewish state in any border.”

Although Netanyahu and his officials have indicated that Palestinian recognition is a precondition for talks, Abbas has so far stood his ground. Last year he declared: “Israel can call itself whatever it wants. We don't have to recognize those definitions.”

But it was in fact one of his predecessors, Ehud Olmert – widely regarded as committed to creating a Palestinian state, even if a very limited one – who first raised this condition as part of the peace process. Olmert introduced the demand at the Annapolis talks in late 2007, under US President George Bush’s stewardship.

It was a strange stipulation. Nation-states usually want recognition of their borders and territorial sovereignty, not their ethnic or religious character. That is precisely what the Palestinians did back in 1993 by recognising Israel in the Oslo accords. and 1988! (rb)

So why did Olmert suddenly impose this new requirement? Neither Egypt nor Jordan, which signed earlier peace agreements with Israel, were asked to do the same.

The reason appears to be that, as Olmert believed he was moving closer to an agreement on partial statehood for the Palestinians, his officials advised that recognition would achieve important strategic gains.

If the Palestinian leaders in the occupied territories can be made to sign up to recognition of Israel’s Jewishness, they would give a stamp of approval to Israel taking whatever measures were necessary against the Arab minority to preserve the state’s Jewish character.

Lieberman said Abbas’ rejection revealed that “The real intention of the Palestinians is not to establish a state that will live in peace alongside Israel but rather the establishment of a state free of Jews in [the West Bank] and the hostile takeover of Israel from within.” Read entire article→