Citizens Proposal for a Border between Israel and Palestine
  • Home
    • Page 2
  • About
  • General Issues
    • Access
    • Culture and Identity
    • Land Transfer
    • Right of Return
    • Gaza
    • Security
    • Jerusalem
    • Other Areas of Joint Administration
    • Jewish Settlers: Those Who Return and Those Who Remain within Palestine
    • Arab Communities within Israel
    • Legal Protections, Human Rights and the International Community
  • Maps
    • Overview Map
    • Northern West Bank
    • North Jerusalem
    • Jerusalem -- Eastern Areas of Focus
    • Ma’ale Adumim, E-1 and Access
    • South Jerusalem
    • Southern West Bank
    • Gaza and its Future Development
    • Conclusion
  • Position Statements
    • 2011 >
      • Har Homa C
      • Giv’at Hamatos
      • The Question of Recognizing Israel as a Jewish State
      • Let Us Prepare for Two States
      • Can Palestinians Recognize Israel’s “Jewish Character”?
      • Next Steps: Negotiating an Initial Border
      • Etzion Bloc Expansion: Israeli Overreaching
      • Israel’s Tussle with Europe
    • 2012 >
      • Time to Negotiate the Northern and Southern Sectors of the Israeli-West Bank Border
      • President Peres and Dr. Ashrawi: Thank You for Staying on Track
      • Playing the Victim Card Will Not Bring Peace
      • Negotiations By the Parties
      • The World Should Help the Palestinian Hunger Striker
      • ...and only afterwards move to discuss the topic of Jerusalem
      • A Question of Accountability
      • Israel Twisting in the Wind
      • Netanyahu: Too Big for His Britches
      • Netanyahu's "Israeli Comfort"
      • How Shaul Mofaz Can Jump-Start the Peace Process
      • Netanyahu on the Brink
      • Time for Taking Stock
      • Israel in Wonderland
      • Whatever Happened to the Quartet?
      • The Palestinians Want to Negotiate
      • A Time for Hope and a Call for Restraint
      • Israel Can Win in Gaza, But Not Now
      • Congratulations to the New State of Palestine!
      • Security and Borders: Both Required for Peace
    • 2013 >
      • It Is Up to Israel to Restart Peace Negotiations
      • Israel and Palestine: Changing the Terms of Agreement
      • The Knesset Bill to Increase the Number of Women that Elect the Chief Rabbis Is Important for Jewish Women
      • Proposal on Governance of the Holy Basin
      • Time for Netanyahu to Reach Across the Aisle
      • Tzipi Livni's Challenge
      • Women Should Be Free to Pray at the Wailing Wall
      • Proposed Highway through the Jordan Valley Will Backfire on Israel
    • 2014 >
      • Secretary Kerry, Please Beware of Israel’s Stalling Tactics
      • A Proposal on the Issue of Palestinian Recognition of Israel as a Jewish State
      • Proposed “Jewish State” Law a Threat to Israel’s Democracy
      • Journaling: Hope and Despair - Seven Weeks In
      • Netanyahu's War
    • 2015 >
      • We Should Applaud Herzog and Livni for Reclaiming Zionism
      • The Next Israeli Government
      • West Bank Citizenry and Receipt of Individuals of Palestinian Origin
      • What Next for Israel?
      • Palestinian statehood
      • Mischief in the Trade Legislation would Hinder Progress
      • What Next for America?
      • Could American Firms Choose to Gradually Disinvest from Israel?
      • Boycotting Israel is not anti-Semitism
    • 2016 >
      • Isaac Herzog's Diplomatic Initiative: Can This Detour Be Reframed Into a Road to Two States?
      • The Choice of Friedman as Envoy to Israel Is a Challenge to the Soul of American Judaism
      • America’s Abstention at the UN: Well Played!
      • Lapid: A New Leader for Israel?
    • 2017 >
      • Outcomes of SC Resolution 2334
      • Release the Tapes of the Noni Affair
      • Yair Lapid: A Strong Leader for a Secure Israel
      • Bill to Annex E-1: A Knife in the Heart of the Two-State Solution
      • Thus Endeth the Jewish State
      • CP Suspending Operation
    • 2019 >
      • Return to Two States
      • ​Benny Gantz Can Do Better than Pander to the Settlers
      • The Joint List Should Join the Government
    • 2020 >
      • Israel's Moment of Opportunity
      • Trump’s Unfair Middle East Plan Leaves Nothing to Negotiate
  • Resources
  • About the Authors

Can Palestinians Recognize Israel’s “Jewish Character”?

September 23, 2011
In an effort to overcome the hurdle of Israel’s requirement that Palestine recognize Israel as a Jewish State as a precondition to negotiations, we see that American mediators are suggesting a softer approach:

                        The Palestinians would have to recognize Israel’s Jewish character if they were to reach a deal quickly, officials 
                        close to the talks said. [1]  
Noting Israel’s characteristics and qualities, the Jewish character of the State of Israel would seem to be a fact of life, not requiring manifold and/or tortuous efforts at definition that, as we have seen, would be necessary to clarify the issues around Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.

In this regard, it should not be necessary for anyone to ask Israel for a clarification of what it may mean when it claims to have “a Jewish character.” It is something we can see and choose to appreciate, or not.

Having a Jewish character does not carry with it implications one way or the other about Israel’s constitution or basic law, nor does it carry with it any comment on its decisions regarding privileging its Jewish citizens or its non-Jewish citizens.

Importantly, recognizing Israel as having a Jewish character does not imply that the treaty establishing the two states should say anything one way or another about the Palestinians’ demand for a right of return. Instead, it leaves room for movement.

While it may support Israel to retain a Jewish majority, it matters not for the Jewish character of Israel per se whether its population is 76 percent Jews (as it is currently), or 56 percent Jews, or 96 percent Jews. The character of a nation is not governed by demography. It is a reality that stems from the character of its people, their history, and the culture they create.

We believe Israel will continue to strive for a pluralistic society, nation and state, because pluralism is deeply embedded within the Jewish character. We also affirm Israel’s willingness to participate productively in the region, along with all other member states and Palestine, because a sense of responsibility to benefit the wider humanity also is deeply embedded within the Jewish character.

Affirmation of the other’s character is part and parcel of good relations between states. It forms the basis for educating future citizens to live as good neighbors. Within reason then, agreeing to recognize Israel as having Jewish character is a good place to begin, even if it arises from a compromise in negotiations.

If the Palestinians will agree to this, it will be in the spirit of negotiation and working toward good neighborliness. Understandably it may be a bitter pill for them, given the current realities on the ground—a conflict that all want to move away from.

For Israel, while recognizing two states for two peoples may be a lesser form of acceptance, we believe it is appropriate for the Palestinians to affirm Israel’s Jewish character. Israel’s willingness to make this compromise is commendable.

Thus, we hope that Palestinians will give on recognition of Israel’s Jewish character. We also hope that they will accept a timetable, as was suggested by French president Sarkozy and now is being presented by the entire Quartet, in lieu of any demands over settlements. We see reasonable evidence that such a timetable could produce a state acceptable to both parties, and so we encourage it.

[1] Associated Press, “Obama to meet Abbas as US, allies modify plan to avert crisis over Palestinian statehood,” Washington Post, September 20, 2011.http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/obama-to-meet-abbas-as-us-allies-modify-plan-to-avert-crisis-over-palestinian-statehood/2011/09/20/gIQAWdHMjK_story.html 
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.