Arab states will never recognize Israel

Riyad al-Malki speak to Radio Palestine after participating in a weekend meeting in Paris between U.S. Secretary State of John Kerry and foreign ministers of the Arab League.

In the interview, al-Malki said that at the meeting Kerry, who is mediating the talks between Israel and PA, presented some issues raised by both sides.

One of these issues, according to al-Malki, is the need for Arab support for the "Jewish character" of Israel.

Kerry told the ministers that this issue remains one of the main points over which there is a disagreement.

In response, said al-Malki, the Arab foreign ministers expressed their full support for all the PA’s demands, especially regarding non-recognition of Israel as Jewish state.

“The Arab states will never recognize a Jewish state,” he stressed, according to NRG/Maariv.

He further noted that there is still no progress in the ongoing peace talks and that large gaps remain between the parties.

Al-Malki also said that Kerry still had "hard work" with the Israeli side, in order to reach agreements that will “satisfy the needs of the Palestinians.

He further stressed that the PA insists about the capital of the future Palestinian state being in eastern al-Quds.

The remarks follow those made by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday.

Abbas told a visiting delegation that there will be "no peace between us and Israel" without eastern al-Quds as the capital of the future Palestinian state.