Abbas: Palestinians Will Never Recognize Israel as ‘Jewish State’

“We will never recognize the Jewishness of” Israel, Mahmud Abbas said at an extraordinary meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

He added that negotiations with Israel have not been constructive so far, as the Tel Aviv regime is seeking to set up an apartheid regime and continues its settlement activities in the Palestinian territories.

“It’s impossible for us to wait any longer, because Israel continues its aggression and expropriation of lands and setting facts on the ground by continuing to build settlements,” Abbas said.

The talks between Palestinians and the Israeli regime reached a deadlock in April, when Tel Aviv refused to free the last group of 104 Palestinian prisoners in late March as part of a deal for the resumption of the US-sponsored negotiations, Press TV reported.

The Palestinians responded to Israel’s move by applying to join several international agencies and treaties on April 1.

Abbas further said that the Palestinians are resolute to ask the United Nations Security Council to set a timetable for ending Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories.

The Arab League foreign ministers also said in a statement that they agreed on a plan which includes submitting an “Arab proposal to the United Nations Security Council to end the (Israeli) occupation” of the Palestinian territories.

The 22-member bloc reiterated “categorical rejection of recognizing Israel as a Jewish state,” while backing Palestine’s plan to seek membership in UN agencies and international courts.