OTHER, VIEWS

purpose.
Anti-Demographi cs in common
The demographic argument, how-

Jerusalem

W

by did Israeli Prime Minister
Sharon make a sharp turn
and adopt the position of his
opponents, calling for unilateral with-
drawal, disengagement and a Palestinian
state? Demographics!
The "demographic" argument for
unilateral withdrawal from Yehuda,
Shomron and G'7.2 (Yesha), and even
some Israeli Arab towns, is basically this:
the Arab population is increasing rapid-
ly; sooner or later, they will outnumber
the Jews, making it a "time-bomb" that
can and must be defused.
In order to preserve both the demo-
cratic and Zionist-Jewish character of
the State of Israel and retain a large
majority of Jews, Israel should give up
land, create a Palestinian state and divest
itself (as much as possible) of and sepa-
rate from Arab populations.
If Israel keeps the West Bank and
Gaza under its control, it will have to
choose between two painful options:
either losing its Jewish character or ceas-
ing to be a democratic state.
Proponents of this theory hope that,
eventually, the Arabs will accept Israel's
presence, albeit temporarily, even
though terrorism and incitement will no
doubt continue. Israel will have relative
safety and security, they presume,
behind a protective fence, with a Jewish
majority under Israeli sovereignty and a
"consensus" that will unify the country

Moshe Dann, a former Detroiter and

assistant professor of history at City
University of New York, is a writer and
journalist living in Jerusalem. His e-
mail address is
moshedan@netvision.net.il

Ross' Spin

I

t was quite a show at the Jewish
Community Center Jewish Book
Fair on Nov. 4, watching former
Ambassador Dennis Ross mesmerize an
adoring audience as to his great contri-
bution to the so-called peace process in
the Middle East.
His press agent wrote him up as, "A
highly skilled diplomat, Ambassador
Ross was this country's point man on
the peace process in both the George
H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton administra-
dons. He was instrumental in assisting

Jerome S. Kaufman of Bloomfield

Hills is national secretary of the Zionist
Organization of America.

11/12
2004

38

ever, is based only on a prediction;
there is (of course) no way to know
what really will happen. Moreover,
withdrawal from Yesha does not deal
with the "demographic threat" from
Israeli Arab and Bedouin populations in
the Galilee and Negev. As a basis for the
policy decision that will result in a ter-
rorist-based Palestinian state, the demo-
graphic argument, therefore, is weak
and ultimately self-destructive.
What makes this argument so perni-
cious is its fundamental fallacy: It
ignores Israel's vulnerability. Surrounded
by hostile countries and under the con-
stant threat from Palestinian terrorists,
Israel's withdrawal from Yesha means
the loss of a valuable strategic asset: its
ability to preempt terrorist attacks and
control access to their resources.
Withdrawal from Yesha may preserve
Israel's Jewish-Zionist majority and its
democratic system for a while longer,
but it places Israel at greater risk to
Palestinian terrorism. That is national
suicide.

Ready For Statehood?

A more appropriate question might be,
"Should Palestinian terrorists be given a
state? Do they deserve one?"
Those who argue that it is immoral to
occupy another people and suppress
their national aspirations fail to under-
stand that in principle this form of lib-
eral egalitarianism sounds nice; in the
context of terrorism, it is lethal.
If a distinct group of people seek a
separate national and political identity
and are ready and willing to live in
peace, to accept the responsibilities and
obligations that attend statehood, that is
legitimate. Terrorism precludes that
option.

Israelis and Palestinians in reaching the
1995 Interim Agreement; he also suc-
cessfully brokered the Hebron Accord in
1997, facilitated the 1994 Israel-Jordan
peace treaty and intensively worked to
bring Israel and Syria together."
Assisted Israel?
Evidently, the man who wrote the
promo piece was not on the scene when
these events occurred. Ross was indeed
the point man along with the other great
"assisters of Israel" in Clinton's State
Department: i.e., Martin Indyk, Aaron
Miller, Richard Haas and, of course,
Madeleine Albright and Clinton himself.
Their "assistance" has all but brought
Israel to its knees.
Way back in April 1991, in a Moment
magazine article, former Near East
Report editor Eric Rozenman described

If "occupation" prevents
by more deadly weapons and
Palestinian terrorists from
troops from foreign countries
achieving statehood and ensures
and other terrorists (like
Israel's survival, then occupation
Hezbollah), how will Israel be
is a necessity, regardless of its
in a better position to respond?
moral implications. Violation of
There are also internal Israeli
civil rights, including the use of
issues in dealing with the dra-
violence, for example, is not
matic leap in its Arab popula-
MO SHE
only permitted but also required
tion such as the inept policy of
D ANN
when a terrorist in custody has
supporting Bedouin families
Sp ecial
information that will save lives.
with multiple wives and many
Corn mentary children — in violation of
The primary obligation of a
state is to protect its citizens.
Israeli law and (in the last
Israeli democracy and its
decade alone) allowing more
Jewish-Zionist character can be pre-
than 240,000 Palestinians to enter Israel
served only by insisting that its citizens
via legal and illegal marriages and "fami-
and residents abandon violence, accept
ly reunification." In addition, hundreds
Israel's legitimacy and commit them-
of thousands of "Palestinians" have
selves to live in peace. Otherwise, they
moved to "East Jerusalem" (areas that
don't belong here.
Israel annexed to Jerusalem after the
1967 War).
If the demographic argument is
Shaky Projections?
applied to the Galilee, where more than
Advocates of unilateral withdrawal
half the population is Arab
admit that there won't be peace, but
("Palestinian") and volatile Arab towns
"conflict management" (an acceptance
like Umm el-Fahm increasingly support
of something less than an all-out attack
terrorism, and to parts of the Negev that
on Israel). They envision that Arabs on
are exclusively Bedouin, should Israel
the other side of a separation barrier will
abandon these areas as well?
no longer be able to work or study in
Unilateral withdrawal and creation of
Israel and will then emigrate.
a Palestinian state in the West Bank may
But what if it doesn't work the way
postpone but won't solve Israel's "demo-
they anticipate? Should Israel continue
graphic problem." It will not solve the
to allow "Palestinians" to work in Israel?
Palestinian problem, since there will be
Prime Minister Sharon recently doubled
no "justice for Palestinians" until Israel,
the number of work permits of West
itself, is destroyed and all the "refugees"
Bank residents from 40,000 to 80,000.
returned. Only then, will the perpetual
Some "disengagement!"
"victims of Israeli aggression" be vindi-
What if millions of Arabs from the
cated.
"refugee camps" in Lebanon, Syria and
The "demographic" argument is but a
Jordan flood into "the West Bank?"
thinly veiled policy of defeat, forced
Think about the explosive potential of
"transfer" of Jews (only) from their
those demographics! And what about
homes and the creation of a terror-based
the ecological disaster that will ensue?
Palestinian state. Supporters of this poli-
When Palestinian terrorism explodes
cy have yet to show how this is in
on an even larger scale, this time aided
Israel's strategic interest.

Ross as a "Jewish Arabist." He
of empowering this lethal
wrote that Ross was responsible
enemy. The Palestinian Arabs
for shaping the Bush-Baker pol-
were given rifles and sophisticat-
icy that was "indifferent to what
ed military equipment suppos-
Israel claimed as vital interests
edly for use against rioters
and undiplomatically hostile to
among their own people. In
Israel's prime minister" and had
short order, these weapons were
made it "the least sympathetic
instead quickly used to kill
JEROME S. Israelis.
American government toward
KAUF MAN
Israel in that country's 43
Despite the obvious Arab lack
Community
years."
of cooperation and compliance
Perspective
That government embraced
with the agreements sculpted by
the deluded Shimon Peres, Yossi
Ross, the Israelis continued with
Beilin and Haim Ramon that
the insanity giving up the
brought the Oslo Accords, under cover
greater part of Judea and Samaria and all
of darkness, to Israel.
the major Arabs towns to the point
Along with the Accords came a pow-
where 97 percent of the Arabs were
erless, discarded Yasser Arafat isolated in
under Arafat's rule.
Tunisia following the 1982 Lebanese
As a sign of his gratitude, Arafat
War. Israel then made the colossal error
orchestrated the even greater killing of

