One of the main obstacles to peace between Israel and Palestinian Arabs is the issue of territory and sovereignty. Palestinians want an independent state with borders based on the pre-1967 lines, which would include East Jerusalem as their capital. However, Israel does not want to give up control of all the territories it captured in the 1967 Six-Day War, including parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Additionally, Palestinians want the right of return for refugees and their descendants, which Israel opposes as it would change the demographic makeup of the country. Other issues that create obstacles to peace include security concerns, the status of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the division of Jerusalem, and the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.
