The Survival of Israel

Kahane’s article is clearly on target. What the founders of Israel (from Theodore Herzl on up) envisioned was a homeland for the world’s Jews, which was also a democracy. Kahane clearly points out that in a democracy, the majority rules. And as long as Jews are the majority, Israel will be a Jewish state. Not one day longer.

The choices, however, are not clear nor easy. Can the Arabs within Israel be denied the right to serve in the Knesset? With such a rule, the Jewish aspect of Israel can remain in place. But what happens when the pressure of a growing Arab majority demands equality against a Jewish minority (witness the black-white situation in the Republic of South Africa)?

Can the Arabs living within Israel be deported? Can Arab homelands be established with semi-autonomy so as not to impact the Jewish majority in the rest of Israel?

It is doubtful that in any of the Zionist Congresses that the delegates even thought of the issue that is becoming very real--a differential birthrate is soon to make the Jews in Israel a minority. It was assumed from Herzl’s original premise of a Jewish homeland that only Jews would be attracted to Israel and they would thus be the majority forever. In only its second generation after Independence, it is clear that without a massive influx of Jews from outside, the Arab population will outnumber the Jews by the end of the century.

SOL TAYLOR

North Hollywood