Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erekat said Monday that the PA would not agree to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s demand that it recognize Israel as a Jewish state.  The demand is seen as a step towards weakening the PA’s demand that millions of foreign Arab descendents of Arabs who fled Israel in the 1940s be granted Israeli citizenship. 

Erekat issued a new demand, saying the PA would refuse to sign an agreement with Israel unless Israel made a written commitment to release all terrorist prisoners.  An official in the Prime Minister’s Office responded to Erekat’s remarks by repeating Olmert’s call for the PA to recognize Israel.