RAMALLAH, Jan. 13 -- The recognition of Israel's Jewish character constitutes a major obstacle in a framework agreement that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is pushing, a Palestinian official said Monday.

Riad al-Maliki, Palestinian foreign affairs minister, told Voice of Palestine Radio that Kerry insists the Palestinian side recognize Israel as a Jewish state in the framework plan, adding " Kerry still believes that this recognition is important while we still reject it completely."

After months of unproductive negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Kerry put forward the framework deal that outlines the final issues the two sides should talk about when the current discussions end in April.

The Palestinians raised several reservations on Kerry's plan, saying it allows Israel to maintain security on the eastern border of the future Palestinian state and has no decisive, clear view on East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as a capital.

On Sunday, Kerry met an Arab League's ministerial delegation in Paris and told them that the U.S. administration is determined to push the peace process forward.

But the Arab foreign ministers told Kerry that his proposals " show no tangible progress and keep some issues unsettled," according to Maliki.

The negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians were resumed in July after nearly three years of stalemate.