Erekat: Question of Jewish statehood settled long ago
RAMALLAH April 23 (Jmcc) – Responding to reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to insist on Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, negotiator Saeb Erekat said that this issue was decided when Israel was established.
"On May 14 1948, a Jewish group tried to convince then-US president Harry Truman to sign on paper recognizing the interim government of the ‘Jewish state,’" Erekat told Voice of Palestine radio.
"The US president erased the phrase ‘Jewish state’ and wrote instead ‘the state of Israel.’ In other words, this affair was settled long ago."
Haaretz newspaper initiated the question with its analysis of new Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to negotiations with Palestinians.
Netanyahu has said that he rejects the two-state solution, and his strategy for handling the Palestinian issue remains a concern. Erekat charged him with using the issue of Israel’s Jewish character as a red herring to stall negotiations.
According to Aluf Benn and Barack Ravid:
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