Why Does Netanyahu bring up the Jewish State issue now?

Recognizing Israel as the Jewish state has become a hot issue this past week, raising the question: Why did Netanyahu bring it up now, and why does Israel need recognition as a Jewish state anyway?

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry last week said that Israel’s insistence that the Palestinians officially recognize Israel as a Jewish state is a mistake and should not be a critical factor in whether the current round of Israel-Palestinian peace negotiations succeed or fail.

Kerry points out that UN Resolution 181, the original partition resolution passed in Nov. 1947, called for dividing Palestine into Independent Arab and Jewish states. He also points out that Yasser Arafat confirmed that he agreed “it [Israel] would be a Jewish state” in 1988 and in 2004.

So why does Abbas refuse to recognize what Arafat agreed to when Yitzhak Shamir and Ariel Sharon were Prime Ministers. 

In 2003, when President Bush developed his roadmap to peace and Ariel Sharon was Prime Minister, one of Israel’s objections to Bush’s document was that “In connection to both the introductory statements and the final settlement, declared references must be made to Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state and to the waiver of any right of return for Palestinian refugees to the State of Israel.”

When Ehud Olmert was Prime Minister, he directed Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to make the demand in 2007 during negotiations. According to a transcript of the negotiations:

TZIPI LIVNI: “Our idea is to refer to two states for two peoples. Or two nation states, Palestine and Israel living side by side in peace and security with each state constituting the homeland for its people and the fulfillment of their national aspirations and self-determination…”

AKRAM HANIYEH (Palestinian Negotiator): “This refers to the Israeli people?”

LIVNI: [Visibly angered.] “I think that we can use another session — about what it means to be a Jew and that it is more than just a religion. But if you want to take us back to 1947, it won’t help. Each state constituting the homeland for its people and the fulfillment of their national aspirations and self-determination in their own territory. Israel, the state of the Jewish people — and I would like to emphasize the meaning of “its people” is the Jewish people — with Jerusalem the united and undivided capital of Israel and of the Jewish people for 3007 years. [The Palestinian team protests.] You asked for it… [AHMED QUEREI: We said East Jerusalem!] …and Palestine for the Palestinian people. We did not want to say that there is a ‘Palestinian people’ but we’ve accepted your right to self-determination.”

In June 2009, Netanyahu made the “Jewish state” demand in his first public speech as Prime Minister about the peace process:

“I want to make it clear that we don’t want to govern the Palestinians. We want to live in peace with them. We want them to govern themselves. … We’re ready to do our share. We hope the Palestinians will do their share, as well. If we resume negotiations, as we plan to do, then I think that the Palestinians will have to recognize Israel as a Jewish state; will have to also enable Israel to have the means to defend itself.” 

In October 2010, Netanyahu made recognition of Israel as Jewish State a pre-condition for an extension of the “settlement” freeze. As reported by Al Jazeera, the answer was a resounding no: “Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has offered to renew a partial settlement construction freeze in exchange for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. … Netanyahu’s proposal met with swift rejection from senior Palestinian officials.”

Netanyahu reiterated his demand in a speech to the U.S. Congress in May 2011.

“If the benefits of peace with the Palestinians are so clear, why has peace eluded us? Because all six Israeli Prime Ministers since the signing of Oslo accords agreed to establish a Palestinian state. Myself included. So why has peace not been achieved? Because so far, the Palestinians have been unwilling to accept a Palestinian state, if it meant accepting a Jewish state alongside it. … You see, our conflict has never been about the establishment of a Palestinian state. It has always been about the existence of the Jewish state. This is what this conflict is about.”

Abbas’ hardline refusal to recognize Israel is part of the stated strategy to destroy Israel. The “right of return” is a plan to flood the Jewish State with the original refugees, their kids, their second cousins on their mother’s side, etc. Being a democracy, if Israel allows herself to be flooded with those 1948 “refugees” along with descendants of those 1948 refugees, she will cease to be the Jewish State. Instead Israel will be just another Muslim country in the Middle East

The recognition of the Jewishness of Israel is recognition of the attachment to the land. Any Palestinian recognition needs to include recognition that Israel is the continuation of thousands of years of Jewish history and, therefore, Israel has a right to exist.  And for a long time peace, that recognition must be immediately integrated into children’s education and public discourse. Without this recognition of Israel as a Jewish State, the cessation of the conflict and recognition of “Israel” is only temporary.

Columnist@TheJewishStar.com