Israeli-Palestinian peace talks had no chance, say analysts

JERUSALEM — The Palestinian refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state is at the core of why a negotiated settlement between the two sides is all but dead, say experts on both sides of the divide.
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"After 65 years of Arab rejection and warfare, closure for Israelis can come in the form of acceptance of the legitimacy of the Jewish state, in Palestinian renunciation of refugee claims, or perhaps simply a statement that this is the end of the conflict," says Gerald Steinberg of Bar Ilan University.

Israel has in the past offered compromises on hurdles such as settlements on disputed land. But the refusal by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to concede that Israel is a Jewish state is a deal-breaker, says Steinberg.

The refusal means Israel has no confidence that a Palestinian state on its border will end the decades-long attempt by Arab nations to destroy it, so there is no reason to agree to a two-state solution, he says.

Israelis worry that "an agreement will be signed, Israel will give up territory, and the wars, terrorism will continue," Steinberg says.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/04/11/israel-palestinian-peace-talks/7588703/