Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit has voiced concern about Israel’s demand to define itself as ‘Jewish state’. On ‘al-Arabiya’ television, he declared: "Israel wants to call itself a Jewish or Hebrew state. This is worrying… Arabs make up 20 percent of Israel's population. What will happen when they're 30 percent, say in 25 years? Will they receive all the civil rights? Will they remain a minority or will they be expelled?" he asked.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly made Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state one of his top demands. In his speech at last week's peace summit in Washington, Netanyahu reiterated his government’s top priorities in the current negotiations: security and the legitimization of Israel as a Jewish state. "We are ready to recognize Palestinian statehood," stated Netanyahu in Washington. "But we expect you to recognize Israel as the national home of the Jewish people." He stated, "Mutual recognition is necessary in order to signal to both of our nations that the conflict is over."
