At its 60th anniversary the State of Israel finally deserves to be formally recognized as a member in the family of nations. It is time for mutual  diplomatic relations and partnership 1948  -  Recognize Israel  -  2008 This site argues for the diplomatic recognition of Israel

On May 14th 1948, one day before the expiry of the British Mandate of Palestine, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the Independence of the State of Israel. Already in 1947 - on November 29th -  the United Nations approved the UN Partition Plan (United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181) and divided the country into two states, one Arab and one Jewish. In May 2008, the State of Israel celebrates its 60th anniversary. Six decades full of wars and conflicts, negotiations and agreements, challenges and achievements have passed. The biggest challenge however lays in finding a comprehensive peace agreement for the whole Middle East, one that includes all of Israel´s neighbours and current rivals. At the moment, 158 member states of the United Nations have diplomatic relations with Israel, but 34 countries refuse to take that step. Once considered as part of a strategy of boycott, the refusal of diplomatic recognition has developed as a serious obstacle for mutual respect and understanding, not to mention friendly partnerships and a permanent and just peace in the region. That is, why the boycott must stop now. There are various reasonable and honourable arguments for diplomatic relations with  Israel... Diplomatic recognition is required for any relevant political action on an international basis. Indeed, diplomatic recognition means a minimum of mutual respect any political entity deserves. Even enemies and former enemies have diplomatic relations and diplomatic missions, at least in form of an interest section within friendly or neutral missions. Without any formal ties, neither negotiations nor any form of contacts are possible. In Israel´s case this is even more serious as its direct neighbours with a common border are concerned. To ignore a neighbour however means to ignore reality. Mutual recognition is the basis for a lasting peace.... ...not the other way round. Despite many efforts through delegations of the Arab League or the Middle East Quartet: Direct negotiations are the best way to seek a permanent solution to the conflicts in the region. In the past, such talks have been secretly orchestrated, not openly managed through international conferences. Since direct talks require a minimum of trust, the question is: why not act in public? Diplomatic recognition may not solve territorial claims, but it is the most practible way to make them known. Diplomatic boycott is a form of ethnic discrimination. Not to recognize Israel means more than to boycott a government or a leading party. It means to boycott citizens, people, individual persons who deserve a minimum degree of respect and acceptance as part of their human dignity. Most Arab states refuse entry to Israeli citizens, and furthermore to any citizens which have Israeli stamps in their passport. In addition, economic ties are widely forbidden. Such behaviour however, which could best be called apartheid,  is absolutely incompatible with the spirit of the UN, where Israel is a full member. A closer look at Israel´s boycotters shows that they have even territorial claims and ideological disputes among themselves, but no diplomatic isolation is in place. Given the many territorial, political and economic claims around the world, the boycott strategy would finally lead to the collapse of any bilateral and international relationship. ...but these 34 member states of the United Nations still boycott Israel: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Chad, Republic of China, Comores, Cuba, Djibouti, Guinea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Morocco, Niger, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

Israel  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Full article] Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל‎, Yisra'el), officially the State of Israel (Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Medinat Yisra'el; Arabic: دَوْلَةْ إِسْرَائِيل, Dawlat Isrā'īl), is a country in Southwest Asia located on the southeastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It has borders with Lebanon in the north, Syria and Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area. The West Bank and Gaza Strip, which are partially administrated by the Palestinian National Authority, are also adjacent. With a population of about 7.2 million, the majority of whom are Jews, Israel is the world's only Jewish state. It is also home to Muslim Arabs, Christians and Druze, as well as other religious and ethnic minority groups. Jerusalem is the nation's capital, seat of government, and largest city. The modern state of Israel has its roots in the Land of Israel, a concept central to Judaism for over three thousand years. After World War I, the League of Nations approved the British Mandate for Palestine with the intent of creating a "national home for the Jewish people". In 1947, the United Nations approved the partition of the Mandate of Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. The Arab League rejected the plan, but on May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence. The new country's victory in the subsequent Arab-Israeli War expanded the borders of the Jewish state beyond those in the UN Partition Plan. Since then, Israel has been in conflict with many of the neighboring Arab countries, resulting in several major wars and decades of violence. Throughout the conflict, Israel's boundaries have been subject to dispute, although Israel has signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, and efforts are being made to reach a permanent accord with the Palestinians. Unlike most countries in the Middle East, Israel is considered a liberal democracy. It has been ranked as the most progressive in the region in terms of freedom of the press, economic competition, and overall human development.

Frequently named reasons for boycotting Israel...    ....and why they are wrong:

1. Israel is an illegal entity and therefore shall never be recognized.

False. In 1947 the United Nations have voted for the foundation of the State of Israel. According to the rules of the UN, this step was not only legal in terms of international law. According to UN rules, member states have to accept each other and resolve any disputes through peaceful means, since the right to exercise force lays in the hands of the UN Security Council. - So, Israel should have been recognized from the beginning.

2. Israel is an illegitimate entity within the Arab/Muslim world.

False and dangerous, too. This argument is the standard excuse for ethnic cleansing and apartheid rule. In the Middle East, there have always been different cultures and traditions, people and their religions, be it within the region or inside a country. Every country has ethnic minorities and religious fractions. The Middle East is the historic origin of monotheism, and Judaism is an integral part of it. To exclude the Jewish people from their ancient home country is absolutely unacceptable.

3. Israel was built only to let the Europeans get rid of the Jews.

False. Certainly many Jews wished to leave Europe after the Holocaust. But it was rather them who wanted to get rid of Europe, then the other way round. From a moral point of view, it wouldn't have been impossible to stop that exodus after all that has happened. Nevertheless, Europe has a historic responsibility in this context.

4. There is no need for the State of Israel - the Jews could have lived within the Arab countries, too.

False. Again, history shows the opposite. In some countries, Jews are accepted, but in others they are not. Like in Europe they became second-class citizens, sometimes tolerated, sometimes persecuted, but always treated unequally. Until today, most Arab/Muslim states deny religious freedom, political expression and individual rights to their citizens, especially to nonmuslim communities.
So, the Middle East has indeed generated the State of Israel out of its own failure to integrate the Jews. Only decades ago, some Arab countries even began to expel them. Therefore, the State of Israel seems to be the logical solution.

5. Israel was founded at the expense of the Palestinians.

This is only one side of the medal: Certainly, Israel´s foundation has had a big impact on the region. Millions of Jews have fled to their new - and ancient - homeland. However, the Palestinians could have remained where they used to live - inside the small state of Israel, inside the designated Arab territories or anywhere else in the region, like in Jordan.
The reason why many Palestinian left their homes and fled to neighbouring countries was the war of independence, when several Arab states attacked Israel in 1948. Acting against all international rules, they tried to eliminate it from the face of the earth. It was this conflict, provoked by Arab countries, in which the Palestinians were drawn in when they became a part of the Arab front.
While Palestinians inside Israel - so-called Israeli Arabs - have full citizenship and residents inside the West Bank are able to live and work freely,  many Arab neighbours have forced Palestinian exiles to live under desperate conditions inside refugee camps which they cannot leave.

6. Zionism is to blame for today´s problems.

False. There are many reasons for the current situation, but Zionism is the last one. The idea of nationhood, based on religious, political or ideological grounds, has shaped Europe within the 19th century and was adopted later in the Middle East. On the Jewish side, the concept for statehood within historic borders was called Zionism, while the Arabs developed their own nationalist and Panarabic movements.
Although the State of Israel was meant as a sanctuary for Jews, and therefore called the "Jewish State", it is in contrast to other countries in the region open for any kind of religion. Further, it is a liberal and democratic state, where individual rights and political opposition is guaranteed by the rule of law.

7. If Israel is recognized, then anyone can claim historic homelands in the future.

Not at all. Israel is an absolutely unique exception with no parallel. The reasons that led to the creation of Israel were not limited to the argument of religious and cultural roots. First, the hostilities Jews have experienced in Europe and the Middle East were reason enough to create secure zones where they could live in peace. The holocaust was only the final motive in a long history of animosity, expulsion and deportation. Second, since Judaism is the basis of today´s monotheistic religions, the State of Israel is the best way to safeguard its tradition and allow it to have a center next to its historic origins. The huge cultural heritage which is connected to the Jewish religion may further justify the establishment of an independent state. Third, as reality shows, there are few territorial claims in today´s world. In Europe all countries have accepted their borders despite the changes made in two World Wars. At least the liberal and democratic countries do not seek any territories, be they historic or not. Fourth and last: The State of Israel was legitimized by the United Nations - this is the big difference between a legal entity and, for example, a territory claimed by any obscure rebel group. 

8. At least, the boycott has helped the Palestinian cause.

Certainly not. The logic of the boycott was, not to recognize a political entity which was designated to be completely destructed and eliminated. Had this strategy been successful, it my have "helped the Palestinian cause",  but meant another genocide for the Jewish people.
Since a two-states-solution for Israel/Palestine was accepted even by most Arab states, the boycott is counterproductive. Mutual economic ties and diplomatic relations could have led the Middle East in a prosperous direction. Boycott however is a strategy typical for authoritarian and totalitarian regimes which need to incite external conflicts to secure their grip on power. Boycott is not only wrong, unjust and ineffective; it has a variety of negative side-effects too. It is worthless in any way.

"I say to the citizens of Israel, in this extraordinary day, you, our neighbors on this small land, neither us nor you are begging for peace from each other. It is a common interest for us and for you.  Peace and freedom is a right to us, in as much as peace and security is a right for you and for us. (...) Peace is not impossible to achieve if there was will and good faith and every party got its legitimate right."	-> Joint Declaration <-	"We want peace. We demand an end to terror, incitement and hatred. We are willing to make a painful compromise, rife with risks, in order to realize these aspirations. (...) There is not a single Arab state in the north, east or south with which we do not seek peace. There is no Muslim state with which we do not want to establish diplomatic relations. Anyone who wants peace with us, we say to them, from the bottom of our hearts: welcome!"
Address by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the Annapolis Conference.  [Translated from Arabic - as published by Haaretz]		Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert at the Annapolis Conference (Translated from Hebrew)