An offer on Monday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu … to freeze West Bank Jewish settlements in exchange for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state—instantly rejected by the Palestinians— was the latest complex maneuver engendering debate about his intentions. The offer … was aimed either at keeping talks with the Palestinians alive and his right-wing coalition partners in check, or at seeking to shift the burden of failure to the Palestinians and escape blame should the talks wither and die.
As part of a flurry of initiatives favored by Israel’s right that began Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu backed a measure that requires non-Jewish immigrants to take a loyalty oath to Israel as a Jewish and democratic state before they can become citizens. On Monday his government supported a bill that would require a national referendum before any territory could be yielded in a peace deal. … For the Palestinians, defining Israel as a Jewish state means acknowledging that Palestinian refugees would not be permitted back to their homes in what is today Israel, a concession they are not willing to make in advance. It also raises questions about the status of Israeli Arabs. Access the full article>>
