Frida0111. L9ig 53 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Populous Arabs a Threat to Israel's Future 40 — BUSINESS CARDS High school graduate will do yard work. Dependa- bFe. 933-7139 or 399-1192 after 7 p.m. - TELEVISION SERVICE - All work guaranteed Licensed Very Reasonable Call HAROLD COHEN 968-7482 A NICE JEWISH BOY LIKE ME— PAINTING Interior - Exterior 237-0092 PIANO Guaranteed tuning - repairs. 30 years experience. Call Bob 559-2209 ALUMINUM SIDING 545-1110 Lowest Prices In Town EVERGREEN BLDG. CO . SAVE $$ SPECIAL New roof, repairs, frat roof. Free Estimates 30 years experience. WALTER OFFMAN 883-3939 ARON SPINNER PLUMBING - Repair's - Remodeling Residential Commercial_ 557-6318. 557-6182 863=1925 . IF NO ..•_ ANSWER 573-0924 PETER FRIEDMAN Licensed Master Plumber Emergency service work. Sewer cleaning, garbage dis- posal, installation work. Reason- able rates. 24 hour service. 967-1374 53 — ENTERTAINMENT SINGING guitarist, violinist plus Disco tapes. 398-2462. BAND Excellent Music For All Social Occasions 731.6081 ZOA to Sponsor Fall Conference in Miami Beach NEW YORK (JTA) — e Zionist Organization of America is sponsoring a Na- tional Jewish Leadership Conference on American- Israeli Relations held -in Miami Beach, Fla., October 24-28. ZOA president Ivan J. Novick said the conference would be an "opportunity to draw together concerned, responsible leaders of the academic, lay and profes- sional communities" to "re- view and assess issues that affect America-Israel rela- tions and relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors." By ALON BEN-MEIR. From my recent conver- sations with several demog- raphic experts and some government officials in Is- rael, it appears that the fear that Israel may lose its Jewish majority and therby its Jewish identity is becom- ing more and more realistic. There are a number of factors that make this pros- pect more likely — and hence more troubling — as time goes on. The immigra- tion of Jews to Israel has de- creased to only few thousand annually, while emigration from Israel has increased it is estimated that during the last two de- cades more than 400,000 have left Israel. This trend, compounded with a low birth rate (1.8 per 1,000 per year) and liberal abortion laws has taken a large chunk of Israel's potential population. (Some one mil- lion abortions have been performed during the last two decades alone.) While some of the prob- lems can be more easily corrected than others, it seems abundantly clear to most demographic ob- servers in Israel that un- less the government moves swiftly and de- vises workable and effi- cient remedies to the situation, Israel will in- advertently start the process of losing its Jewish identity - and thereby; its raison d'etre. Surely, from a strictly moral point of view there is nothing wrong with a demo- cratic secular state in which all inhabitants live peace- fully with each other. The situation in Israel, however, is quite different and the prospect is extremely peril- ous. Israel was created for' the persecuted Jews, for the op- pressed and the diainher- ited. If Israel is to remain a haven for those Jews who might be expelled from their respective countries in the future, it must remain a Jewish state, it must main- tain its Jewish orientation and identity. The question is not strictly one of morality. To provide a home for perse- cuted JeWs is moral and is right. But for the state of•Is- rael to maintain the highest code of morality and human rights it must follow policies that would not compel fu- ture generations of Israelis to resort to repression in order to maintain the Jewish identity of their state. In the final analysis, a Jewish majority is relevant only when compared to the Arab Palestinian popula- tion living within Israel it- self or in the administered territories. If the Israeli government cannot sustain a constant flow of Jewish immigrants to Israel while discouraging Israelis from emigrating, and if Israel does not turn its immediate attention to the severe social and eco- nomic gaps and provide more far-reaching incen- tives for larger families, and finally, if the government fails to devise policies that would inhibit additional • The question is whether trict who, in accordance with the right of free option, , the Begin government can choose Israeli citizenship, afforcl , r,0 take a risk based will be entitled to vote for, on the a‘s.nriPtion that the and be elected to, the Knes- Arab Pales4nians will con. set in accordance with the sistently refuse to acc e pt l& rael's sovereign existence in election law." If the Palestinian resi- any form. On the • Other hand, the dents of the region accept this provision, this could Palestinians may very well conceivably within a short adopt "the silent and no period of time shift the de- violent path4o ,Amb mographic ratio between tory-a-Ad temporarily put the Jews and the Arabs to aside their national pride in 60-40, respectively. Most favor of this long-range demographers are of the prospect — a prospect that view that the Arabs will could lead to the creation of clearly move toward a a secular state in which the majority by 1990 if the cur- Arab Palestinians retain a rent trends of the Jewish majority and of which ever* demographic posture con- the PLO has been a staunch . advocate. tinue. . . IS THE TIME TO Place Your New Year Greetings in THE JEWISH NEW Holiday Issue . Sept. here's no better way to sa • AiN5d. p w s 6-1 los FOR A 9(11P.P rk 1 WE ∎■ Vo i1.1. to all your relatives and friends The Jewish News 17515 W. 9 Mile Rd., Suite 865 Southfield, Michigan 48075 Russian Arsenal WASHINGTON — Rus- sia has reportedly spent up to $4 billion in Libya in the past year, replacing 2,000 tanks with new mode,ls, building two giant airfields and other military installa- tions. According to the Foreign Report of the London Economist, Russia's arsenal in Libya ranks only behind the weapons build-up on her Chinese and European bor- ders. Arab Palestinians from be- coming full-fledged Israelis without discrimination and oppression, Israel will not 'remain a state for the Jews as envisioned by its Creator. Any autonomy plan that offers the Arab Palestinians Israeli citizenship with equal rights including the right to vote and to be elected to public office will be nothing less than na- tional suicide — at least from the viewpoint of Jewish identity. Provision Number 16 of the Self-Rule Plan submit- ted by Prime Minister Begin provides that the "Residents of Judaea, _ Samaria and the Gaza Es- Gentlemen: Please insert my New Yedr Greeting and Family Mr. and Mrs. Address City State Check Enclosed (circle one) $7.50 — $12.50 — $17.50 — ° IN= Zip Code ........ - more •