Jewry's Role in
Human Affairs
The Case Against A Palestinian State
Haifi
Palestinian population earn-
he proposal to estab-
ings. By declaring war on Israel
lish an independent
and practicing terrorism, the
state of Palestine to
Palestine Authority cut off
be located alongside
most of this income and prac-
the kingdom of Jordan and
ticed economic suicide. In the
the state of Israel continues to
meantime, Israel has learned to
make headlines and to draw
use the services of foreign
support in some circles. It is
workers who come froth afar,
CARL
doubtful if the advocates of
and are not security risks.
ALPERT
such a state have ever made a
Thus far the Palestine
Special
serious and thoughtful study
Commentary Authority, though rent by bot-
of what that means and what
ter internal dissension, has
is involved. True, objections have been been able to maintain the appearances
voiced but even these fail to deal with
of existence thanks to the liberal finan-
a basic and fundamental flaw in the
cial support from European countries
whole matter.
and the United States. The rest of the
First, the usual objections. There has
Arab world is not the least bit interest-
never been such a state. It never existed, ed and has reneged on pledges of sup-
was never destroyed. There is no histo-
port. Thus, the several million inhabi-
ry, no tradition, no literature, no past.
tants, including perhaps an equal num-
There is no native population. The
ber of Arab refugees who the other
great majority of the present population Arab states will quickly dump into the
here are descended from Arabs who
new "homeland," will be constantly on
immigrated into the area from sur-
the verge of starvation. They will
rounding countries, attracted by the
become a perpetual international bur-
prosperity created by Jewish settlement. den, but how long will the world be
If the demand for a state continues, it willing to support the illogical, artificial
must be pointed out that it was already
and economically destitute state?
created in three quarters of the territory
It is significant that even when sug-
that the British mandate undertook to
gestions are made to cede to the infant
develop as a Jewish homeland. It is
state some adjacent areas of Israel with
known as Jordan, and is distinguished
heavy Arab population, the Israeli Arabs
by its Arab inhabitants, Arabic language who would be affected rise up in vehe-
and Muslim religion.
ment and unanimous objection. They
But little attention is being given to
insist on remaining citizens of Israel,
the most crucial fact: Even if artificially with all its social welfare benefits, rather
brought into existence, such a state will than patriotic residents of the new,
be utterly non-viable. First of all, no
questionably viable Palestinian state.
matter what boundaries are set, it will
Conditions in such a state will lead
always be a divided unit, part in Gaza
to perpetual instability, hostility and
and part in the West Bank, separated
continued terrorism and wars. Are
by central Israel. There is no possibility there intelligent, thoughtful Arab lead-
of uniting the two because any territo-
ers who realize all this? Are American
ry serving that purpose would bisect
and European leaders who advocate
Israel, separating the Negev from the
creation of a new state aware of what -
rest of the country. Look at the map.
the consequences will be?
Further, there is absolutely no eco-
Even if we accept and recognize all
nomic justification for its existence.
of the above, that does not solve the
There is no industry to speak of. When
problem of several million unfortunate
a local family opened a meat processing
Arabs who are resident in the area.
plant not long ago, employing 88 peo-
Obviously Israel can not accept them
ple, it made headlines. It is the
as citizens, since they would soon out-
Palestinians' largest industry. Agriculture number the Jews in the Jewish state.
is marginal economically, exports mini-
One possible solution would be to
mal, natural resources none. No one
create a U.N.-mandated territory
with a head on his shoulders is going to
under international auspices. Another
invest any money in developing this
would be to encourage absorption of
hopeless area. Before the intifada, the
the population within the neighboring
income from employment in Israel con-
state of Jordan. If nothing is done, the
stituted more than 40 percent of the
population there will gradually dwin-
dle as people seek more economically
Carl Alpert is a U.S. native who made
feasible homes in any of the close to
tzliyah in 1952. He is former head of the 20 Muslim states around them.
Zionist Organization of Americas edu-
Again, international help could assist
cation department. His e-mail address is
in this move, in the best interests of
alpert@techunix.technion.ac.il
the people concerned. [ii
LUMINARIES OF LITERATURE
We previously profiled German lyric poet Heinrich Heine and Russian
poet/novelist Boris Pasternak, elite members of Jewish European literary
circles which flourished before and well into this century. Other writers
from abroad, some of whom left their homelands, also produced classic
works which endure in many translations. From Hungary came the virtuoso
dramatist/author Ferenc Molnar, and Arthur Koestler. originator of
shattering political testaments. France spawned novelist Marcel Proust,
among the reigning literary figures of modem times, and Andre Maurois,
a world-famed novelist and critic.
Austrian writer Franz Werfel became a major force in the German
expressionist movement, and the biographies of his countryman, Stefan
Zweig, were international best sellers. A worldwide following attended the
novels of Alberto Moravia, one of Italy's three or four most important
postwar period writers. Also wielding the powers of the pen were:
FRANZ KAFKA
(1883-1924) b. Prague, Czechoslovakia
Kafkaesque, a word now in our vocabulary, arises
from the symbolic and often grotesque tales told
by one of the most significant writers of this
century. The word refers to the state of being of
powerless innocents trapped by nameless forces
they cannot fathom or reconcile. Kafka's surreal
vision has been connected to his victimization by
a tyrannical father, and to a global comment on the alienation and
impotence of western man adrift in harsh, impersonal societies.
Born into a middle class family, he studied the law which he
brought to positions in the insurance industry. His was a double life: a
successful hard-working executive during daytimes and nights given to
crafting short stories and novels about characters desperately searching for
their identities. Little of his lucid and poetic writings saw print during a
lifetime cut short after a lengthy battle with tuberculosis. Kafka doubted
the quality of his efforts and ordered that drafts of such masterpieces as The
Trial (1925), The Castle (1926) and America (1927) be burned upon his
death--a request ignored by Max Brod, his close friend and literary
executor. Brod succeeded in having the manuscripts published and
promoted.
The master stylist's influence on western artistic expression- has
been widespread, culminating in plays, motion pictures and operas based
on his stories.
NELLY SACHS
(1891-1970) b. Berlin, Germany The daughter of
a German industrialist became, in 1966. the first
Jewish woman to win a Nobel Prize. Born to
wealth and position, Sachs was drawn to the arts
and began composing neoromantic poetry in her
seventeenth year. Her early lyrics, written
principally for her personal pleasure, began
appearing in newspapers. But the rise of Hitler
spelled destruction for her family, all of whom, with the exception of her
mother, died in the Holocaust.
She and her aged parent were saved by a plea in their behalf from
her Swedish literary friend, Selma Lagerlof (a 1909 Nobel Prize winning
novelist), to Sweden's royal Prince Eugene. His intervention brought
mother and daughter to Stockholm days before she too would have been
shipped to the' camps. Translating German poetry into Swedish for a
meager income, Sachs soon evolved in her sensibilities and voice--to
capture in free verse the inexpressible evil Nazism visited on the Jewish
people who would nonetheless survive.
The impressive poetry of her later years. exquisitely cast in the
romantic German tradition, has been described as ecstatic, mystical and
visionary. In an ironic turn of events, in addition to her Nobel Prize for
Literature--shared with Israeli author S.Y. Agnon--Sachs also won the 1965
peace prize of the German Book Publishers Association.
-Saul Slacitnumer
Visit many more notable Jews at our wehsite: www.dorledor.org
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