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As the deadline approaches for Israel and the Palestinians to reach a final agreement, optimism that it will actually happen is fading in Moscow and in many other capitals, despite the energetic though unilateral efforts of Secretary of State John Kerry.
Most Russian analysts believe the parties are not ready to resolve the many complex matters so quickly. In addition to the difficulty of resolving the key issues themselves, one obstacle to reconciliation is the tension between the Palestinians and the Israelis over Israel's very recent demand, as a precondition, that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state. I will not reiterate the Palestinian arguments against meeting this demand — they are already well known.
