ISRAEL NOT RECOGNIZED AS JEWISH STATE, SAY Ex-PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR by Sonny Jones

* Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh.

Israel is not recognized as a Jewish state by the Palestine, former Peace Negotiator, Dr. Muhammad Shtayyeh.

According to Amira Hass, the Haaretz* correspondent for the Occupied Territories, Dr. Shtayyeh made the statement as he addressed Journalists in Beit Jala, a town near Bethlehem in the West Bank, saying recognizing Israel as a Jewish state will have a negative effect and will prevent Palestinians from returning to their homeland.

He said Palestinians would rather have a conference in Geneva to sort out the Palestinian issue than two party talks which often ended in favour of the Israelis.

"The current bilateral talks, only prove they are preserving the uneven balance of power between the strong side, the master who continues to dictate the terms, and the weak side, subject to those terms" Dr. Shtayyeh was quoted as saying.

The former negotiator resigned from the negotiating team on November 5, siting lack of sincerrity from Israel.

Dr. Shtayyeh said only Christian and Muslim narratives, not the Israeli government narrative, will produce genuine accounts and hold the route to sincere agreement and a peaceful settlement.

According to Amira Hass, the former negotiator favoured a peaceful conference in the nature of that held to discuss Irans nuclear program or the oncoming conference scheduled for Wednesday January 22, 2014 on the Syrian conflict.

He agreed however that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, does indeed favour two states – only in the West Bank - for the Jewish settlers on the one side and the other for the Palestinians.

Palestine Authority insists the Jewish settlers have no right of residence in the occupied territories.

Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh is the president of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction (PECDAR).

* Twitter: @woolwichonline.

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* Haaretz is a credible English-language Website for real-time news and analysis of Israel and the Middle East.