"If Mr Cameron were to say that he recognises Israel as the natural home of the Jewish people, it would give him some capital in the peace process."

"If Mr Cameron were to say that he recognises Israel as the natural home of the Jewish people, it would give him some capital in the peace process."

Benedict Brogan du Daily Telegraph: 

The Prime Minister travels to Israel early tomorrow, and will spend the day there, before going on to the Palestinian Authority. It's his first visit as Prime Minister, which is itself interesting. Quite why it has taken him four years to get round to it is the subject of mild curiosity both here and in Tel Aviv. He was supposed to go last month but the trip was postponed because of the floods. It's fairest to say that, relative to some of his predecessors, the Middle East peace process has not grabbed him as an issue. Britain is an important player in the region, as part of the wider European Union engagement, and William Hague has made it one of his major policy priorities. ButMr Cameron has so far not used his time in office to establish his bona fides as an interlocutor worth listening to. [...]

But it will be his address to the Knesset, and therefore the Israeli people, that will be watched intently for an idea of where Mr Cameron stands on the big existential issues at stake here. He's left it late, but not too late. One issue he may chose to address is the question of Israel's nature as a state. Mr Netanyahu wants the Palestinians, and the rest of us to recognise Israel as a specifically Jewish state – not a theocracy but as the home of the Jewish people. Angela Merkel has said she does, as have the Americans and the Canadians. Mr Cameron's speech will be followed closely for a similar statement. This would go further than the Foreign Office position that a state is defined first and foremost by its borders. If Mr Cameron were to say that he recognises Israel as the natural home of the Jewish people, it would give him some capital in the peace process.