Ari Shavit, in Haaretz, makes seven good points about the reasons Israel is right to ask that the Palestinians recognise it as the state of the Jewish people.
And as he points out:
Seventh reason: We will calm down. The basic desire of Jewish Israelis is the desire for a home. Explicit recognition that Israel is the Jewish people's home will strengthen our willingness to take risks and leave the territories. Only recognition of the Jewish national home will make it possible to quickly and peacefully establish the Palestinian national home.
A codicil: The demand that Israel be recognized as a Jewish state cannot be made without maintaining a true commitment to Israel as a democracy. The demand cannot be made for recognition of a rational state represented by Avigdor Lieberman. Without ensuring the full and equal rights of non-Jews in Israel, the Jewish nation-state will not stand.
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