Abbas: I will not recognize Israel as Jewish state
Abbas rejects Prime Minister Netanyahu’s repeated request to recognize Israel as a Jewish state as a critical part of framework deal.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that the Palestinians will not recognize Israel as a Jewish state at a meeting with students in Ramallah, Israel Radio reported on Friday.
There is “no way” that he will agree to recognition, Abbas was quoted as saying by Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Netanyahu most recently repeated his request for recognition during his speech at AIPAC’s 2014 Policy Conference on Tuesday.
“Recognize it. No excuses. No delays. It’s time,” he told the audience.
Abbas also reiterated his position on Friday that the capital of a future Palestinian state will be east Jerusalem in its entirety, rather than just a portion. He added that if negotiations fail, he will encourage popular resistance as a pathway to peace, according to Israel Radio.
Abbas is set to meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry on in Washington on March 17. The nine-month period that Kerry designated for negotiations is set to end on April 29.
While Netanyahu has pressured President Obama to extend the talks to the end of the year, the PA has opposed this suggestion.
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