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Israel: Peace Deal Requires Recognition of Jewish State
(USA Today) Oren Dorell - The Palestinians' refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state goes against core elements of any peace deal that would be acceptable to Israel, Israel's ambassador to Washington Ron Dermer told USA Today. "If they're not willing to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, then there will not be an agreement." Dermer said if the Jewish nature of Israel is declared legitimate by a Palestinian state, then Israel will know that the decades-long attempt to destroy it is at an end. "The refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state means they [Palestinians] want a Palestinian state not to end the conflict, but to continue the conflict." Israel also insists on maintaining a security presence in the Jordan Valley and will never rely on foreign forces to guarantee security, given that such arrangements have worked out poorly for Israel in the past, Dermer said. "We do not ask other countries to fight our battles....[Abbas] is willing to have foreign forces [in the Jordan Valley], so the issue is not sovereignty; he just doesn't want Israeli forces, which have proven to be the only effective force here."