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Source: http://blogs.jpost.com/content/keep-it-simple-stupid
Jewish State Recognition a Test of Palestinian Intentions
(Jerusalem Post) Ira Sharkansky - Netanyahu's insistence that Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state, or the state of the Jewish people, is not meant to deprive them of their political rights. The rights of Israeli Arabs are as substantial as those for anyone throughout the Middle East, and do not fall below those of ethnic or religious minorities in any democracy. Netanyahu's demand is more a test of the Palestinians than a sine qua non for Israel's existence. Yet, it is a fair test. It examines the willingness of the Palestinian leadership to accept Israel as a legitimate neighbor. The failure of the Palestinian leadership to accept Netanyahu's formulation should tell us that Palestine is not ready for elevation to a state, with anything like the rights and powers of other states claiming sovereignty. The writer is professor emeritus of political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.