Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling for other nations to pressure the Palestinian Authority to agree that Israel has a right to exist.

He said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas needs to renew peace negotiations, beginning by recognizing Israel as a Jewish state.       

"I understand that we will have to have a historic compromise which is very painful. So I stood before my people, the people of Israel, and I said numerous times that I will accept a Palestinian state," the Israeli prime minister said. 

"Now President Abbas must stand before his people and he has to say these six words: 'I will accept a Jewish state.' He has to say it," Netanyahu insisted.

"I will repeat this over and over and over again because it is the attempt to fudge, it's the attempt to fudge and evade and obscure this essential component of peace; the removal of this basic obstacle to peace that is required and this is what the international community must face up to," he added.

The Israeli leader cautioned against the P.A.'s attempt to secure unilateral recognition of statehood at the U.N. this fall, saying it would not lead to peace.