Why don't Arab and Muslim-majority states recognize Israel?

Question

Significant portion of the Muslim world does not recognize Israel as a legitimate state. Egypt and Jordan are the only Arab states, so far, which have sign peace treaties with Israel. On the other hand, Turkey was the first Muslim-majority nation to formally recognize the State of Israel (March 28, 1949). If these countries can recognize Israel, what prevents the rest of Muslim worlds to do the same? This wikipedia link cannot provide me any satisfactory answers either:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_Israel

Shalom / Salaam / Peace.

Answer 1

It's really hard to answer a "why" question adequately and several of the previous answerers have given you some good information. The link posted is especially helpful. After the Allies liberated the Nazi death camps, the Jews in many of the concentration camps had no homes to return to. Therefore, the British government who controlled the middle eastern area of the world create Israel as the homeland of the Jews. I don't agree it is quite the same as a government taking your home for random homeless people. The Jews traditionally had a nation of Israel, so it was re-created in 1947. The Jewish people had been persecuted for so many years that they had no homeland and had spread to most nations around the world.
Why the Arab and Muslim-majority states still refuse to recognize Israel has now, in my opinion, turned into simply a policy of stubborness and intolerance that is hard to overcome under the current Mid-East leadership. Although one answerer appeared to criticize President Carter, he did broker peace between Egypt and Israel at the Camp David accords which is why he won the Nobel Peace Prize. The answer that Israel exists on land stolen from others was an adequate answer for the hatred in 1947, but that was 60 years ago and it's time for the Arab states to accept reality. Israel has returned lands it won in several wars so I do not think there is a logical answer to your question. In my opinion, the answer is illogical instead, but accurate. It's ingrained hatred passed from one generation to another. What I believe needs to be done is to re-new efforts in the Mid-East on a nation-by-nation basis. Each time an Arab nation recognizes Israel, the process becomes easier for other Arab nations. There was great dissatisfaction when Egypt recognized Israel and their president was later assassinated. If the Western nations and Russia united and pressured other Arab nations we might quickly reach the point where only Syria and Iran refuse.

Answer 2

Nothing happens overnight. It takes time for growth, as you can see Turkey, Egypt and Jordan have already signed peace treaties with Israel. It is not easy for them to accept the Jewish State when they felt it to be an Arab country. But in time they will eventually accept Israel because it is Israel and that won't change.

Answer 3

Israel interferes with their Extremist Muslim Ideals. This is one of the fundamental problems with Iran. The Ayatollahs ramming their extremist Ideal's down the throats of the PERSIAN people (not Arabs) Though Iranians do vote they cannot vote out the Ayatollahs whom rule over those like Ahmandinejad. The Arab countries that have infected their brand of extremist Islam on Persia will only aid in the fight against Israel. Will they give the Palestinians land and money as Israel and America have to help them build and become peaceful? NO! All they will do is fund terrorist such as Hezbollah and Ham mas to create instability in the region. If the area becomes Democratic and peaceful this will usher in a new era in the Muslim world where the people of these nations will want Democracy as well and not Theocracy. This is why these extremist Arab as well as Persian Iranian governments will NEVER except Israel. Not because of religion, but because of threat to their political power accepting them will derive.

Don't ever forget. After Israel was created, it was attacked on ALL sides by Arab countries. Result? The Arabs got their butts handed to them and Israel took even more land creating a larger country. In the 1990's they offered 95% of what Arafat was asking for. He waited awhile and DECLINED the most generous offer and embezzled millions that his wife lives on in France now after his death. Millions upon millions that Israel and America gave to promote a peaceful society.

Answer 4

Albania has recognized Israel since 1949 and turkey since 1950, both these countries are Muslim majority.

Answer 5

Israel had been a menace to the Muslim World for taking the land of Palestinians and even invading them during a war on this issue. Thus, there was a widespread curse by the Arabs against the existence of Israel. The conflict started in the olden days with Israel taking some sacred sites that are sacred to the Muslims and not giving it back to them just like the ones in Jerusalem.

Answer 6

The more progressive the Muslim state, the more likely Israel will be recognized. Otherwise, Israel is simply regarded as an obscene interloper, based on their historical legacy.

Answer 7

Because Muslims think they are the true Palestinians, but they aren't. Israel is their land. They were forced out of it way before the Muslims were and it is just returning the favor.

Answer 8

Because the Arab/Palestinian people who were forcibly displaced by a formative Israeli State, backed by the UK, USA and Soviet Governemnts, were never consulted in the process but were evicted to create an expedient solution to the problem of dislplaced Jewish people following the pogroms of the Nazis, and their subsequent defeat. In todays world it would be a bit like the Governement of the USA or UK saying that they needed to clear you off your land because they had a resettlement program for all the homeless people and your house is in the way. Brutal, isn't it? That's what happened. NO Arab people will ever accept it as just but they some agree to accept it as reality because of the economic stranglehold which the US and UK have on their region. The only Arab/Muslim state which fully recignises Israel is the one which is totally tied to the US over oil marketing in US dollars (the 'petro dollar'), Saudi Arabia. Why do you think that the US Govt. flew it's most high profile Saudi guests home before they could be interrogated after 9/11? Many of them were from the Bin Laden family! Sadly, it's all down to economics.

Answer 9

Why aren't all Arab states the same? I guess that's because not all Arab people are the same. Just like not all Jewish people are the same. Not all Arabs have the same political beliefs.

Answer 10

I think that the global clash between the Islamic world and the west was caused by Israel and we all suffer as a result.

By the way I have no hatred for Arabs, I simply don't want to fill the UK with them