Jews could be welcomed in future Palestinian state
Jews could be welcome in a future Palestinian state, but this is a separate matter from accepting Israeli settlements.
When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially suggested the possibility of Jewish settlers to remain citizens of the Palestinian state, it was not clear whether this was a bluff or a serious proposal. While Palestinian negotiators were quick to reject the idea, it was members of the Israeli cabinet themselves who revealed the true intention of Netanyahu’s proposal.
Israel's right-wing Minister of Economy and Trade Naftali Bennett described Netanyahu's statement as "very dangerous." Israeli newspapers said that a trap intended for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas exploded in the face of Netanyahu's own government.
The main idea behind this apparent trial balloon was to expose what Israelis consider a racist Palestinian position of not wanting any Israeli to stay in the state of Palestine after the possible Israeli withdrawal. Evoking 20th century anti-Semitism and Jewish-free communities in Europe, Netanyahu wanted to paint the picture of the demands by Abbas that all illegal Israeli settlers must leave as anti-Semitic.
Irrespective of the motivation behind this apparent Israeli bluff, there stand two harsh facts that have been rarely discussed.
