Israel offers to extend moratorium on settlements if Palestinians recognize it as Jewish state

[News_Editor]

Israel offers to extend moratorium on settlements if Palestinians recognize it as Jewish state

2010-10-11 23:54:10 GMT+7 (ICT)

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BNO NEWS) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said that Israel will extend the settlement freeze moratorium if Palestine recognizes it as Jewish state.

"If the Palestinian leadership will say unequivocally to its people that it recognizes Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people, I will be ready to convene my government and request a further suspension," Netanyahu said.

The Israeli Prime Minister said that Israel is requesting the same treatment that the Palestinian Authority is asking for. "If the Palestinians expect a national state, we can expect our own national state for the Jewish people."

If the Israeli request is complied, Netanyahu informed that he will immediately initiate a cabinet proposal to renew the settlement moratorium. HE added that Israel will support the creation of a Palestinian state, only if it is created in a responsible manner.

"This is not a condition but a trust-building step, which would create wide-ranging trust among the Israeli people, who have lost trust in the Palestinian will for peace over the last 10 years," Netanyahu added.

However, the Prime Minister clarified that the importance of Israel as a Jewish state resides in the fact that in Israel Jews and non-Jews alike enjoy the same rights under law. Netanyahu said that no country ensures the rights of its minority population as Israel.

On Friday, the Arab League supported the Palestinian Authority's decision to stop direct peace talks with Israel as long as the settlement construction continues. The announcement came after the United States said that direct negotiations were the only way to ultimately resolve the issues between Israel and Palestine.

Netanyahu said that his country will continue the settlement construction after considering that Palestine has not done anything in the last nine months to negotiate the moratorium and set it as a pre-condition for the direct talks despite agreeing otherwise.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-10-11

[Jingthing]

This is basic. Of course no peace talks can ever get anywhere unless the Palestinians accept the existence of Israel as a Jewish state. There is so much sympathy in the world towards the Palestinian struggles, but bottom line, if they really want peace and the chance at founding an official Palestinian state with borders acceptable to them, they do have to recognize Israel (not the same as accepting the current settlement situation). It's a negotiation. Both sides know what that means, a give and take. I am not saying only one side is responsible for the end of the talks if this means they are over, but not recognizing Israel will never be acceptable to Israel. If they aren't willing to do that basic thing, why did they even start the talks?

[SergeiY]

This is basic. Of course no peace talks can ever get anywhere unless the Palestinians accept the existence of Israel as a Jewish state. There is so much sympathy in the world towards the Palestinian struggles, but bottom line, if they really want peace and the chance at founding an official Palestinian state with borders acceptable to them, they do have to recognize Israel (not the same as accepting the current settlement situation). It's a negotiation. Both sides know what that means, a give and take. I am not saying only one side is responsible for the end of the talks if this means they are over, but not recognizing Israel will never be acceptable to Israel. If they aren't willing to do that basic thing, why did they even start the talks?

Why to accept Israel as a Jewish state, with the emphasis on Jewish? And exclude everyone non-jewish out of it this way? Jewish as religion or Jewish as race? Why don't have some secularised State instead of be just there for one religious group?

In comparison there has the UK more legitimacy to reign over the Falklands than Israel to be the Jewish state on this territory. The Palestinian with their families live there since generation, that is their claim to have the right to be there.

The other side, based their claim on some religious fiction and came to that area from another corner of the world as some kind of colonialist. Their parent generation isn't born there and never was there before.

[Jingthing]

Why to accept Israel as a Jewish state, with the emphasis on Jewish? And exclude everyone non-jewish out of it this way? Jewish as religion or Jewish as race? Why don't have some secularised State instead of be just there for one religious group?

My understanding is that there are FIFTY-SEVEN Islamic states in the world. I could easily be wrong on the number, but there are many.

Of course Israel was founded for the Jewish PEOPLE; no requirement to be religious, at all. If you don't know WHY that happened historically, take a guess.

That choice was made by the UN in 1948. It's a done deal. Now the big issue that remains is finding a way for the Palestinians to be have good lives now. There is nobody in their right mind who is saying that the Palestinians don't have massive grievances and just aspirations. However, is war the answer? With peace, with economic and social cooperation with Israel which has many people who also want peace and prosperity for Palestinians in their potential new state (and is now a major global center for high tech like Silicon Valley) there would be hope for BOTH countries to prosper. But no, not good enough, so more war. Great choice.

One Jewish state. One. A small one. Let that sink in. Too many for your comfort?

Next ...

[Pakboong]

Why to accept Israel as a Jewish state, with the emphasis on Jewish? And exclude everyone non-jewish out of it this way? Jewish as religion or Jewish as race? Why don't have some secularised State instead of be just there for one religious group?

My understanding is that there are FIFTY-SEVEN Islamic states in the world. I could easily be wrong on the number, but there are many.

Of course Israel was founded for the Jewish PEOPLE; no requirement to be religious, at all. If you don't know WHY that happened historically, take a guess.

That choice was made by the UN in 1948. It's a done deal. Now the big issue that remains is finding a way for the Palestinians to be have good lives now. There is nobody in their right mind who is saying that the Palestinians don't have massive grievances and just aspirations. However, is war the answer? With peace, with economic and social cooperation with Israel which has many people who also want peace and prosperity for Palestinians in their potential new state (and is now a major global center for high tech like Silicon Valley) there would be hope for BOTH countries to prosper. But no, not good enough, so more war. Great choice.

One Jewish state. One. A small one. Let that sink in. Too many for your comfort?

Next ...

I believe you are correct here. They can go to the reservation kicking and screaming or they can go peacefully. Their choice.

[canuck1941]

I read in the paper yesterday that the Knesset passed a law that requires all Israeli citizens take an oath of loyalty to Israel. And Netanyahu says no nation on earth treats its minorities as well as Israel. As another generation of peace-seekers passes without peace, fails its citizens, what is really going on in that part of the world is almost impossible to know. But as long as the Israeli tail wags the American dog, there won't be peace. The oligarchs must be pleased at events.

[gotlost]

Hope I'm wrong but I do not see this happening.

[siampolee]

• Published 14:54 10.10.10 http://www.haaretz.com
• Latest update 14:54 10.10.10.

Cabinet approves loyalty oath, but only for non-Jewish new citizens

Amendment to Law of Citizenship would require any non-Jew seeking citizenship to pledge allegiance to Israel as a 'Jewish and democratic state.'

By Jonathan LisTags: Israel newsCabinet ministers on Sunday approved by a majority vote a controversial amendment which would require every non-Jew wishing to become a citizen of Israel to pledge loyalty to "the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state."

Twenty-two ministers voted in favor of the amendment, including most of Likud, Shas and Yisrael Beiteinu. Eight ministers were opposed, five of them from the Labor Party and three - Benny Begin, Dan Meridor and Michael Eitan - from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presides over a weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.

Photo by: Michal Fattal The divided cabinet spent hours deliberating Justice Minister Ya'akov Ne'eman's proposed amendment to the Law of Citizenship ahead of the vote, including a proposal by Ne'eman himself that the pledge apply to Jews and non-Jews alike.

Defense Minister and Labor Party Chairman Ehud Barak warned earlier Sunday that he would vote against the amendment unless the cabinet agreed to include in the draft an allusion to Israel's Declaration of Independence.

Neither of those amendments was included in the final draft passed by cabinet.

As the cabinet began its deliberations Sunday, Netanyahu reiterated his support for the amendment. "The State of Israel is the national state of the Jewish people and it is a democratic state for all its citizenship," he said. "Jews and non-Jews enjoy equality and full rights."

"Unfortunately, there are many today who tried to blur not only the unique connection of the Jewish people to its homeland, but also the connection of the Jewish people to its state," Netanyahu added.

"Democracy is the soul of Israel and we cannot do without it. No one can preach democracy or enlightenment to us," Netanyahu added. "Zionism established an exemplary national state, a state that balances between the national needs of our people and the individual rights or every citizen in the country."

"There is no other democracy in the Middle East," he declared. "There is no other Jewish state in the world. The combination of these two lofty values expresses the foundation of our national life and anyone who would like to join us needs to recognize this."

Netanyahu's Labor coalition partners believe that his support for the loyalty oath is a sop to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, aimed at winning his Yisrael Beiteinu party's support for an extension on a settlement construction freeze that expired late last month. The U.S. and EU have urged Israel to extend the construction freeze, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has warned that he will quit the current round of peace talks if the moratorium on new building in the West Bank is allowed to expire.

there is an ulterior motive behind it all. Israel is sadly no different from its persecutors of the past.

[Jingthing]

Israel has a right wing government and that is a shame, but to compare them to Nazis and their mass death camps is OFFENSIVE.

[hobanse]

Braking the silence.

Parliament member Daniel Cohn-Bendit, president of the European Greens-European Free Alliance and a leader of the 1968 student uprising in Paris, said Breaking the Silence was nominated because "the Greens/EFA group wants to recognize the bravery of all the individuals involved who work to shed light on the injustices of the Israeli occupation and ensure Israeli society does not simply turn a blind eye."

While "Israel is a democracy, it nonetheless takes enormous courage to speak out and break through the taboos and prejudices surrounding the Israeli occupation," he said.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/human-rights-groups-founded-by-idf-veterans-nominated-for-eu-prize-1.318535#article_comments

[rgs2001uk]

Israel has a right wing government and that is a shame, but to compare them to Nazis and their mass death camps is OFFENSIVE.

Thats your opinion only, why not ask the Palestinians how offended they are.

You could also ask any of the surrounding countries how offended they are.

Not offensive to many liberal thinking people who are fed up being told what to think by the PC brigade, I find that more offensive.

[Jingthing]

Israel has a right wing government and that is a shame, but to compare them to Nazis and their mass death camps is OFFENSIVE.

Thats your opinion only, why not ask the Palestinians how offended they are.

You could also ask any of the surrounding countries how offended they are.

Not offensive to many liberal thinking people who are fed up being told what to think by the PC brigade, I find that more offensive.

You've got this all twisted. The PC stance is the one YOU are taking. Bashing Israel and comparing them to Nazis is so very fashionable. There is plenty to criticize about Israeli policies current and past, but they have never and will never be building any mass death camps and you bloody well know it.

[rgs2001uk]

Israel has a right wing government and that is a shame, but to compare them to Nazis and their mass death camps is OFFENSIVE.

Thats your opinion only, why not ask the Palestinians how offended they are.

You could also ask any of the surrounding countries how offended they are.

Not offensive to many liberal thinking people who are fed up being told what to think by the PC brigade, I find that more offensive.

You've got this all twisted. The PC stance is the one YOU are taking. Bashing Israel and comparing them to Nazis is so very fashionable. There is plenty to criticize about Israeli policies current and past, but they have never and will never be building any mass death camps and you bloody well know it.

I dont follow fashion, neither do I need a bunch of Hollywood left wingers telling me what to think.

Unlike you I dont have the gift of foresight, so I am afraid I dont "bloody well know it", what I do know is nothing would surprise me.

No need for death camps when you have the nuclear capacity of Israel, sort of makes things a bit lopsided, no wonder the anti Iran brigade are turning up their rhetoric probably fear of a level playing field.

This post is not in any way intended to be a PC stance or a fashion statement.

[Jingthing]

Level playing field, huh?

That's rich.

Global Muslims -- pushing 2 BILLION

Global Jewry -- Under 15 MILLION

[rgs2001uk]

Level playing field, huh?

That's rich.

Global Muslims -- pushing 2 BILLION

Global Jewry -- Under 15 MILLION

The number of Muslims and Jews in the world is totally irrelevant.

Just another example of Israeli arrogance thinking they can operate with impunity with a little help from the greatest nation on earth.

Wonder how the victims of Israels use of illegal inhumane weapons are doing, be interesting to hear from a Lebanese point of view.

Probably unable to reply due to the after effects of phosporus bombs.

As for a level playing field as far as I am aware its only Israel that has a nuclear capability in the region, yeah very level, huh.

[Jingthing]

Iran is getting them and it is not only the US and Israel who want them to stop this. Also major M.E. countries and also European countries. Israel pushed it with their settlements but they have a tiny population and outside their general region they are not only not expansionist, it would be impossible for them to do so even if that's what they wanted. Not enough people! Nothing like the Nazis were in that way either.

[hobanse]

The Palestinian Authority will never recognize Israel as a Jewish state, senior Palestinian officials said on Tuesday, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed to freeze settlement construction in exchange for that condition.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that demand could never be accepted, while his colleague Nabil Sha'ath added that the government in Ramallah would not tolerate a partial construction freeze and that the moratorium must also be applied in East Jerusalem.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/palestinian-official-pa-will-never-recognize-israel-as-jewish-state-1.318613

Do not trust the Israel Gov.

[hobanse]

Israel doesn't want peace

http://www.imemc.org/

[Jingthing]

I am pro Israel. I see blame for the continued mess on BOTH SIDES. The pro Palestinians seems to see blame ONLY on the Israeli. Quite simply, that position is NOT CREDIBLE.

[Ulysses G.]

This post is not in any way intended to be a PC stance or a fashion statement.

...But it is anyway.

[Ulysses G.]

Israel has a right wing government and that is a shame, but to compare them to Nazis and their mass death camps is OFFENSIVE.

There are more accurate words.

[SergeiY]

Why to accept Israel as a Jewish state, with the emphasis on Jewish? And exclude everyone non-jewish out of it this way? Jewish as religion or Jewish as race? Why don't have some secularised State instead of be just there for one religious group?

My understanding is that there are FIFTY-SEVEN Islamic states in the world. I could easily be wrong on the number, but there are many.

Of course Israel was founded for the Jewish PEOPLE; no requirement to be religious, at all. If you don't know WHY that happened historically, take a guess.

...

One Jewish state. One. A small one. Let that sink in. Too many for your comfort?

Next ...

No reason to point at other Islamic states in the world. That have nothing to do with it. And these islamic states are founded by people how lived there since generation and ages.

What makes one person 'Jewish'?

Where comes the legitimacy for a "Jewish state" from?

The God-given homeland to daddy Abraham some few thousand years ago as you can read it in the bible? Yeah, there has the UK much more legitimacy to claim the Falkland island based on history as argument.

[Jingthing]

I point to Islamic states to show that states founded on a particular religion are quite common in the world to rebut the notion that the desire of Jews to have their own and only Jewish state to be some kind of unreasonable deviation.

What makes a person Jewish is simply having a Jewish mother. There are other less common ways, but that is the gold standard.

Of course, to the Nazis your great grandfather only could have been Jewish and they would still gas you. So go figure.

Next ...

[SergeiY]

I point to Islamic states to show that states founded on a particular religion are quite common in the world to rebut the notion that the desire of Jews to have their own and only Jewish state to be some kind of unreasonable deviation.

What makes a person Jewish is simply having a Jewish mother. There are other less common ways, but that is the gold standard.

Of course, to the Nazis your great grandfather only could have been Jewish and they would still gas you. So go figure.

Next ...

I thought we keep the nazis out of the debate?

So what makes a Jewish mother Jewish? It some kind of irrational religious thing, right? And its a colonialist settler movement based on some irrational religious beliefs and obscure fairy tale about was few thousand years ago.

Where are the parents and grandparents born of all the people there involved in the conflict?

[Jingthing]

I point to Islamic states to show that states founded on a particular religion are quite common in the world to rebut the notion that the desire of Jews to have their own and only Jewish state to be some kind of unreasonable deviation.

What makes a person Jewish is simply having a Jewish mother. There are other less common ways, but that is the gold standard.

Of course, to the Nazis your great grandfather only could have been Jewish and they would still gas you. So go figure.

Next ...

I thought we keep the nazis out of the debate?

So what makes a Jewish mother Jewish? It some kind of irrational religious thing, right? And its a colonialist settler movement based on some irrational religious beliefs and obscure fairy tale about was few thousand years ago.

Where are the parents and grandparents born of all the people there involved in the conflict?

It's not realistic to keep the Nazis out of the debate about why Israel exists and will continue to fight to exist, as Jewish state. Also, the more extreme anti-Israeli side has taken to calling Israelis the same as Nazis and such charges need to be discussed, as they are out on the table. They know it is a hot button for Jews to be called Nazis, so the Nazis are still part of the current debate.

A Jewish mother becomes Jewish by having a Jewish mother. It's not that complicated. It's ethnic identity passed through the matrilenial line, read some anthropology. Not an unusual thing among many other peoples in the world.

Do you ask such silly basic questions about OTHER people's in the world, such as the Kurds, Navajo Indians, Thai sea gypsies, etc.? Do you have a special hangup about Jews, perhaps being Russian? Don't be shy, it's a common thing.

[siampolee]

What I do find somewhat mystical and somewhat amusing or pitiful is the fact that our friend Jinthing suddenly coined and indeed used the word Nazi

Never at any time did I mention ''Nazi',

I merely expressed the opinion that sadly modern Israel seems to be following the same pattern of suppression as the presumed oppressors of the Jewish people have done over the years.

Methinks that Jinthing has indeed got the wrong end of the stick.

[Jingthing]

What I do find somewhat mystical and somewhat amusing or pitiful is the fact that our friend Jinthing suddenly coined and indeed used the word Nazi

Never at any time did I mention ''Nazi',

I merely expressed the opinion that sadly modern Israel seems to be following the same pattern of suppression as the presumed oppressors of the Jewish people have done over the years.

Methinks that Jinthing has indeed got the wrong end of the stick.

Did you get that folks -- PRESUMED OPPRESSORS. That says it all. What are you some kind of Holocaust Denier Lite? A kinder, gentler kind of anti-semite perhaps who always leaves a little fudge room for plausible deniability? Doesn't actually SAY Nazi but refers to oppressors which of course there were many but the Nazis are the first ones on most anyone's mind because of not so distant history. Doesn't actually say there weren't oppressors, but uses the word PRESUMED. How could anyone in their right mind who knows anything about the history of the Jews even suggest there may have not been oppressors? Sorry, I've got your number.

[metisdead]

What I do find somewhat mystical and somewhat amusing or pitiful is the fact that our friend Jinthing suddenly coined and indeed used the word Nazi

Never at any time did I mention ''Nazi',

I merely expressed the opinion that sadly modern Israel seems to be following the same pattern of suppression as the presumed oppressors of the Jewish people have done over the years.

Methinks that Jinthing has indeed got the wrong end of the stick.

Did you get that folks -- PRESUMED OPPRESSORS. That says it all. What are you some kind of Holocaust Denier Lite? A kinder, gentler kind of anti-semite perhaps who always leaves a little fudge room for plausible deniability? Doesn't actually SAY Nazi but refers to oppressors which of course there were many but the Nazis are the first ones on most anyone's mind because of not so distant history. Doesn't actually say there weren't oppressors, but uses the word PRESUMED. How could anyone in their right mind who knows anything about the history of the Jews even suggest there may have not been oppressors? Sorry, I've got your number.

In effect Godwin's Law comes into play here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

NEXT,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Jingthing]

Nope. Godwin's law does NOT apply if you are talking about subjects actually related to Nazis. This topic is.

[SergeiY]

I point to Islamic states to show that states founded on a particular religion are quite common in the world to rebut the notion that the desire of Jews to have their own and only Jewish state to be some kind of unreasonable deviation.

What makes a person Jewish is simply having a Jewish mother. There are other less common ways, but that is the gold standard.

Of course, to the Nazis your great grandfather only could have been Jewish and they would still gas you. So go figure.

Next ...

I thought we keep the nazis out of the debate?

So what makes a Jewish mother Jewish? It some kind of irrational religious thing, right? And its a colonialist settler movement based on some irrational religious beliefs and obscure fairy tale about was few thousand years ago.

Where are the parents and grandparents born of all the people there involved in the conflict?

It's not realistic to keep the Nazis out of the debate about why Israel exists and will continue to fight to exist, as Jewish state. Also, the more extreme anti-Israeli side has taken to calling Israelis the same as Nazis and such charges need to be discussed, as they are out on the table. They know it is a hot button for Jews to be called Nazis, so the Nazis are still part of the current debate.

A Jewish mother becomes Jewish by having a Jewish mother. It's not that complicated. It's ethnic identity passed through the matrilenial line, read some anthropology. Not an unusual thing among many other peoples in the world.

Do you ask such silly basic questions about OTHER people's in the world, such as the Kurds, Navajo Indians, Thai sea gypsies, etc.? Do you have a special hangup about Jews, perhaps being Russian? Don't be shy, it's a common thing.

Zionism the political movement, idea and concept that created the State of Israel is older than Adolf & his Kampf. And Adolf is dead and the Nazi Reich smashed. The refugees to Palestina who fled from the Nazis could had return home, home to Europe after the world war 2.

The Palestinian people have nothing to do with the Nazis.

There are many Jewish people all over the world who have nothing to do with Israel nor do support Zionism.

You can really keep the Nazis out here and don't need them for your argument. Just the historic time line will weaken your point.

Israel isn't a product of the Holocaust but more or less child of the 19th century Zeitgeist in Central Europe when former multi-regional Empires turned to nation-states.

I can understand that facing all the antisemitism in the western world back these 100 years ago and all the time before was a reason for the Zionist to come to the idea to create somewhere else their own National State. Put they picked up a controversial territory, a place other people called already their home.

They don't came to integrate there, but as colonialist and conqueror. Based on some old religious stories and fairy tales, older than 2000 years, the new settler, the colonialists or the immigrants declared that area to the Jewish State.

And thanks to the Antisemitism the Zionist got followers and more followers and new settler coming form different places all over the world or that Jewish refugees from Europa just weren't welcome in the New World like in the countries of North America.

You define that Jewish as ethnic group and said before its not an religious thing. But how can a Jewish mother proof that her mother was Jewish and her grandmother and so on and so she must be Jewish if not the mothers of these families came a cross the rabbi from time to time and practice their religion. Is after thousand years of diaspora still the ethnic blood in the vein of Jewish mothers?

As far as i understand, if i am a Jew, living in Nebraska or somewhere in Romania or in Chile, and be a national of these countries. I am invited to RETURN to Israel. I could go to Israel and claim citizenship over there because i am a Jew (no matter how far away and what language i speak) How i can proof for the Israel Immigration office hat i am a real Jew and allowed to become an Israeli?

And not all citizen of Israel are Jewish people. Around 20% of the population are Arabs, mostly Muslims and a few Christians has it too.

The Kurds, The Navajo Indians or the sea gypsies don't have their own national states. And invite people form all over the world to come there and kick out the other locals of another ethnic group. That analogy doesn't work.

But what about the falkland island. The Brits took over some more or less uninhabited island and settled there for many generations and declared it to a part of the Kingdom. But you don't accept this as a valid right to claim the Falkland island. ( The Brits should give up the Falklands in my opinion)

And don't play this "you are an Antisemit card", an strawman argument enforced by your bias and stereotypes about Russians and that you are profiling me as one of them. Antisemitism have nothing to do with it and Antisemitism is not only a Russian problem

My issue is the legitimacy of the foundation of some National State. And I am not a friend of nationalistic ideas, Nations are delusional fictions.

Btw. After 1990 there are many Jews for the EX- Soviet Union immigrated to Israel or RETURNED to the God-given homeland. First the new arrivals were welcomed. Makes Us stronger if we have more brother and sisters, the other Immigrants said. And they came, many of them. And then the 'older' Israelis (new immigrants just 1 or 2 generations ago) sensed a danger for the "traditional" values and culture of Israel, because the "Russian" are so much different and brought a language and a couple of own traditional habits from the East with them. Kinda a xenophobic fear of foreign infiltration. Totally Irrational, and integration isn't that easy but takes more than a generation to fit in, but okay maybe not all of them were "high quality" and "role model" immigrants

The older Immigrants or the Immigrants from western countries create a Us versus Them distinction with calling all of them "The Russian", no matter from what state of the former Soviet Union the new citizen came from. And they will stick with that label 'The Russians' for a while and some of the old Israelis don't accept the "Russian" as proper Jews and look down on them.