Israelis And Palestinians Have Similar Views About Mutual Recognition of Israeli And Palestinian National Identity – OpEd

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According to a poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah: 57% of the Israeli public supports mutual recognition of Israeli and Palestinian national identity, while 37% opposes it. Among Palestinians, 42% support mutual recognition and 56% oppose it. Thus the gap between Israelis and Palestinians in support of mutual recognition is 15 points and the gap for opponents is 19 points.

But if one looks at views of political states rather than national identities: 62% of Israelis support a two-state solution while 33% oppose it; among Palestinians, 53% support and 46% oppose a two-state solution. There will be little chance for peace until opponents are less than 20-30% and the gap between the sides is less than 20 points.

The majority of Israelis (68%) and Palestinians (69%) view the chances for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state next to Israel in the next five years as low or non-existent.

Mahmoud Abbas once described Palestinian and Arab rejection of partition as a “mistake” (in an interview in 2011).

Following the 1917 Balfour Declaration, Sharif Hussein, leader of the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman empire, urged the Arabs to “welcome the Jews as brethren and cooperate with them for the common welfare.” Those wise words were ignored by the Palestinian Arab leadership then, and continue to be ignored by the Palestinian Arab leadership now.

*Rabbi Maller’s new book ‘Judaism and Islam as Synergistic Monotheisms: A Reform Rabbi’s Reflections on the Profound Connectedness of Islam and Judaism’ (a collection of 31 articles by Rabbi Maller previously published by Islamic web sites) is now for sale ($15) on Amazon and Morebooks.

Rabbi Allen S. Maller

Allen Maller retired in 2006 after 39 years as Rabbi of Temple Akiba in Culver City, Calif. He is the author of an introduction to Jewish mysticism. God. Sex and Kabbalah and editor of the Tikun series of High Holy Day prayerbooks.

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