Lapid: We do not need Palestinians' recognition of Israel as a Jewish state

Israel’s Finance Minister Yair Lapid has revealed that he is against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s requirement that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state as a condition for reaching a peace settlement with the Palestinian Authority.

The head of the Yesh Atid (There Is a Future) Party explained in an interview with Charlie Rose on US Public Broadcasting Service that he thinks Israel is already a Jewish state, and so it does not need approval from the Palestinians. “We recognize Israel as a Jewish state. We don’t need authorization from anyone else,” he said.

Lapid noted that he had previously expressed his stance in special talks with Netanyahu.

He refused to speak in detail about the current efforts to end the conflict, saying that negotiations are still ongoing and US Secretary of State John Kerry is the only person authorized to speak about the progress of talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

However he stressed that he rejects any solution that involves dividing Jerusalem, and he believes the Palestinians will give into Israel’s demands regarding what he calls “Israel’s capital”.

According to Lapid, the Palestinians and the Israelis “want different things from security arrangements: the Israelis want peace and security; the Palestinians want peace and justice. Security is a situation in which they won’t kill me.”

He observed that, “the best things are happening when we have low expectations.

“[Low expectations] help us progress in a quiet way,” he added.