OTHER VIEWS
Jewish Agency Plays Crucial Role
vir
hat if you had no hope?
tion to Israel and absorption of new
What if you had no
immigrants into its general popula-
future? What if you
tion. Since its inception, JAFI has
knew that each day you
facilitated the immigration and
would awake in a place that rejected
absorption of almost 3 million Jews
you for whom you are? What if, as a
to Israel
Jew, you were isolated in a country
Many may think that since the fall
with a checkered past or an uncertain of the former Soviet Union and the
future? What if you knew that you
massive wave of immigration that
would be better off in
Israel? How would you get
there? What would it take
to resettle you and your
family? How could you
learn the language and cul-
ture of a new land? The
answer is the Jewish Agency
for Israel (JAFI).
Established in 1929, JAFI
is a non-governmental
agency that links the State
of Israel and Jewish
Communities in the diaspo-
ra, including Detroit. JAFI
is supported through the
Jewish Federation of
Satsha and Anna
Metropolitan Detroit's
Annual Campaign and, in
addition to many other functions, is
followed, the interest and need for
the central mechanism for immigra-
continued immigration has passed.
Not true. Since the beginning of this
Mark Davidoff is the executive director
Palestinian intifada (uprising) in
and chief operating ofzcer of the
September 2000, more than 100,000
Bloomfield Township-based Jewish
new immigrants have arrived in
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
Israel. Many of these immigrants
have come from distressed
for all Jews around the
population centers such as
world, no questions asked,
Ethiopia and Argentina. JAFI
immigration is also the key
coordinates the entire immi-
to Israel's survival as a Jewish
gration experience from pre-
state. The growth rate of the
immigration counseling in
non-Jewish population in
more than 60 countries
Israel is twice the growth rate
worldwide to transportation
of the Jewish population.
MARK
arrangements to Israel.
Projections indicate that
DAVIDOFF
Upon arrival of
without continued strong
Community
immigrants, JAFI
immigration, Jews will repre-
Views
coordinates the
sent only 70 percent of the
absorption process
population of Israel in 2050.
with placement in living
At the conclusion of a recent trip
arrangements with family
to Israel that focused on assisting
members already in Israel,
JAFI on a number of operational and
in independent apartments,
organizational issues, I had the
or in one of the 31 absorp-
unique opportunity to greet new
tion centers in Israel oper-
immigrants arriving at Ben-Gurion
ating by JAFI. At these cen- Airport from Kazakhstan. I was
ters, the most vulnerable of struck by the simplicity of the
the new immigrants are
Immigration Hall that had welcomed
housed for up to one year
millions over the years. Like Ellis
to provide them with the
Island was to new Americans in the
highest level of support as
first half of the 20th century, this
they begin their new lives
hall had been the gateway to freedom
as Israelis. Today, there our
and hope for Jewish people to live as
more than 10,000 new
Jews in a free land.
immigrants living in absorption cen-
As I scoped out the new immi-
ters.
grants, two young people grabbed
With more than 1 million new
my attention: Anna and Satsha. They
immigrants in the last decade, does
had only been in Israel for less than
Israel really need more? The answer
one hour, but they seemed so as ease
is yes. Beyond the general responsi-
with all that lay ahead. Their eyes
bility of Israel to be the land of hope
DAVIDOFF on page 28
,
The Hated Solution
Di
any times, I, a supposed
Zionist maven, am
asked: "Well, how would
you solve Israel's prob-
lems?"
The difficult part is that I know the
questioner will not like my answer.
He or she will simply walk away
mumbling incoherent unpleasantries.
Solutions that require confrontation
rather than uninvolved passivity are
not welcome. It is so much easier to
simply turn away, using some irra-
tional rationalization.
There is also a basic misinforma-
tion problem perpetuating the mis-
conception that Israel is on "occupied
Palestinian land" and must get off.
We have no time for a history lesson
but take my word for it: The Israelis
are on only a small part of the land
that was supposed to be the Jewish
Jerome S. Kaufman of Bloomfield Hills
is national secretary of the Zionist
Organization of America. He edits the
Web page, wwvv.Israel-commentary.org
5/ 2
2003
26
homeland by all historical, legal and
biblical criteria. But nobody knows
that anymore and the Arabs will
never buy into it. So, let's take a more
practical tack:
• Even the most dedicated leftist
now understands that fundamentalist
Arabs do not want the Jews in the
Middle East in any way other than as
dhimmi, the second-class citizenship
the Jews suffered for 2000 years
under Arab rule.
• The Arabs will continue to gnaw
away at Israel, undermining its exis-
tence in every way possible —
through the art of boycotts, the
indoctrination of hatred in preschool-
ers, the hatred that's generated on the
college campuses, the Palestinian-
sympathizing attempts at divestment
from Israel, the professional Arabists
and propagandists deluging the world
media, and the inroads into the
American educational system under
the transparent guise of anti-global-
ization, anti-nuclear energy, anti-
global warming, affirmative action
and diversity. Do you think
that the Arabs dare not once
these glorious shibboleths are
again invade Israel because
truly in Jewish or Israeli inter-
they would be destroyed
ests?
along with their legendary
• Look at the map of Israel.
self-deluding pride.
Do you understand its minis-
Did Uncle Sam — via
cule size? It is basically only
President George W Bush,
40 miles wide, including
Secretary of Defense Donald
Judea and Samaria (West
Rumsfeld, Vice President
JERO ME S.
Bank); at Netanya, it is only 9
KAU FMAN Dick Cheney, Deputy
miles wide and at Tel Aviv not
Secretary of Defense Paul
Corn munity
much farther. Do you know
Wolfowitz, Undersecretary of
Vi ews
the topography? Do you know
Defense for Policy Douglas
that the hated "settlements"
Feith and so many of my
are on the Judean mountain range
heroes — blink and make "friends"
that protects the Israeli coast from
with their intractable enemies in
immediate invasion and capitulation?
Afghanistan and Iraq? Or, did they
• Do you comprehend that such a
destroy them and are now dictating a
small strip of land cannot possibly
peace that will be in America's best
accommodate two nations, especially
interests?
one irrevocably dedicated to the
destruction of the other, yet incapable
Show Of Strength
of sustaining its own economy.
Do you think all of the above begs
Israel cannot afford to deal with its
the question? Wrong. All of the above
enemies in any other way. The
dictates the only answer. Israel must
Jewish state, still under attack after
remain so strong and so defensible
KAUFMAN on page 28