Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., May 19, 2009 Iyyar 25, 5769 | | Israel Time: 20:43 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Focus U.S.A. Travel Week's End Anglo File TLV 100
Settling Jaffa, Acre, Lod and Ramle
By Nadav Shragai
Tags: Demographics, Israel News 

The maps and textbooks issued by the Palestinian Authority present a picture of a world without Israel. Asraa, Ra'ad, and Rahaam, all of them eight years old and originally "from occupied Safed, Acre, and Haifa," beam with pride as they are interviewed on Palestinian television. Their friends earn high marks and prizes for solving geography riddles about Palestine, "which borders Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt." Catchy video snippets portray the Jezreel Valley as "the bread basket of Palestine," and Lake Kinneret as "the sweet water of Palestine." The country's territory, as one child points out in one of the broadcasts, spans 27,000 square kilometers, rather than 6,220 sq. km., the area of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip.

In light of this display, which is both fascinating and depressing at once and comes courtesy of the Palestinian Media Watch, mixed Arab-Jewish towns in the country occupy a central place in the public dialogue, and not by chance. Israel, as the state of the Jewish people, is losing its grip on these cities. Neighborhoods and apartment buildings in which Jews have lived in the past are being bought by Arabs. Some of these transactions are private initiatives, while others are part of a deliberate campaign. Take, for example, the plot near the Golani junction where a Hamas charity front nearly succeeded in acquiring land from a cash-strapped Jew. Jewish investors managed to raise the necessary funds, thus rescuing 50 dunams (some 12 acres) of agricultural land.

These rescue missions do not always have a happy ending. In Upper Nazareth, a town established over 50 years ago to solve the demographic problem posed by Arab Nazareth, "for sale" signs adorn dozens of residential structures. The sellers are Jews. The buyers, for the most part, are Arabs. A residential neighborhood originally planned to house career army officers is today inhabited by Arabs. In addition, the population of the Hakramim neighborhood is changing. The Jews are going, the Arabs are coming.
Advertisement
The findings on changing demographics are published primarily in national-religious journals, even though this process ought to concern all Israelis wishing to maintain a Jewish state. Members of the National Union do indeed make the effort to occasionally visit those areas in which the national-religious public has gained a foothold, including mixed cities in which these individuals have in recent years sought to halt the process. Beyond that, however, there has been awful neglect.

The Israeli "mainstream," which for years has preached the need to separate from most of the territories of Judea and Samaria in order to preserve the Jewish character of the state; which is ready to uproot tens of thousands of Jews from their homes in order "to save the state of Israel," today sits and does almost nothing while within the bounds of Little Israel, that which it seeks to allegedly "save," it is losing the demographic battle on a daily basis.

When, for instance, did members of Peace Now last visit Carmiel? Why don't secular youth movements emulate their brethren among the national-religious followers who routinely send their members to strengthen the ranks of Jewish inhabitants in mixed towns that are being abandoned by their Jewish residents? Have they despaired of realizing the Zionist dream and achieving a Jewish majority within the Little Israel that lies outside greater Tel Aviv?

Or, perhaps, as some of them have delicately hinted, they consider this effort to be racist as well? Could it be that they are bothered by the fact that the settlers in Judea and Samaria have dispatched their best people and rabbis to Jaffa, Acre, Lod and Ramle?

Either way, we will not win this battle with loyalty oaths, neither from the Arab side as demanded by Avigdor Lieberman, nor from the Jewish side. This struggle will be won by populating the settlements - as they are referred to by Palestinians - of Acre, Lod, Ramle and towns of their ilk with Jews.

Related articles:
  • Acre fallout ramps up election campaigns in mixed cities
  • Welcome to the demographic jungle
  • Separate and unequal
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Spies on Facebook
    Shin Bet warns militants may use Facebook to kidnap Israelis, recruit spies.
    Popular denial
    University of Haifa poll finds 40% of Israeli Arabs deny Holocaust happened.
      1.   Settling little Israel 04:08  |  Robert 17/05/09
      2.   Racism 04:46  |  Jack Bellings 17/05/09
      3.   The PROBLEM 04:47  |  Puzzled 17/05/09
      4.   Interesting that you mention Upper Nazareth 05:15  |  Johnboy 17/05/09
      5.   Raise taxes 05:57  |  Jennifer 17/05/09
      6.   Arabs Are Making Baby War Against Israel 06:05  |  Baruch Gold 17/05/09
      7.   Change a couple of nouns and 06:23  |  KenB 17/05/09
      8.   Jennifer 06:37  |  Hugh 17/05/09
      9.   Settling Jaffa, Acre, Lod and Ramle 07:03  |  kangaroo 17/05/09
      10.   Jennifer, the hate-full and ignorant babe from Fl! 07:06  |  CaptAhab 17/05/09
      11.   See the furture and learn from it Nadav Shragai 07:10  |  Kris Lazar 17/05/09
      12.   Jennifer and Baruch 07:14  |  JJ 17/05/09
      13.   To Jennifer 07:37  |  Rick 17/05/09
      14.   Two states for Two people 08:12  |  Freddy 17/05/09
      15.   #5, pals dont belong in the 22 other "Arab" countries 08:53  |  Ariel 17/05/09
      16.   typical right-wing drivel 09:01  |  rm 17/05/09
      17.   What`s the beef 09:14  |  Bemused 17/05/09
      18.   #13 Rick why don`t you go back to your "mother country", now you 09:21  |  Susanna/Shoshana 17/05/09
      19.   Solution : Force Attorney General offices to move to 12:02  |  Absolute Sweden 17/05/09
      20.   What`s the beef? 14:11  |  Curious 17/05/09
      21.   Jaffa,Akko,Lydaa,Ramle,Nazzareth 14:51  |  Michael N 17/05/09
      22.   Israel have never been a jewish state 19:47  |  Marilyn 17/05/09
      23.   Different place, same right wing tactics 20:39  |  dana 17/05/09
      24.   ultra rightwing talk 22:47  |  yuyu 17/05/09
      25.   # 6 baruch 23:10  |  Axel 17/05/09
      26.   Ariel 15 23:53  |  Joan 17/05/09
      27.   Warped view 00:21  |  Adam 18/05/09
      28.   Exhibit A for Durban III 01:00  |  Julius 18/05/09
      29.   Ariel 15 01:01  |  Joan 18/05/09
      30.   Nothing racist about it 01:53  |  Jennifer 18/05/09
      31.   Maralyn--WUT?? 01:55  |  Sad truth 18/05/09
      32.   Jews to Umm al-Fahm and Sakhnin/Arabs to Tel-Aviv and Petah Tikva 01:59  |  David G 18/05/09
      33.   JOHNBOY No self delusion,Arabs say it`s ALL theirs 05:07  |  PETER SM 18/05/09
      34.   Dispatched their best people 07:12  |  sh 18/05/09
      35.   The Queen of Spain 08:47  |  Jake 1948 18/05/09
      36.   MARYLIN Israel was a Jewish state before Romans changed name 09:10  |  PETER SM 18/05/09
      37.   johnboy white australia policy 09:57  |  harzion 18/05/09
      38.   rick the back up turned out to be killing fields 10:02  |  samuel the seer 18/05/09
      39.   Belonging to Saudi Arabia? Jennifer, read #15, it applies to you 10:59  |  Ariel 18/05/09
      40.   #27 No, PETER SM, they don`t. 12:27  |  Johnboy 18/05/09
      41.   the arabs in eretz israel belong to the "future palestinian State 18:32  |  chalom 18/05/09
      42.   Well Said Ariel 02:00  |  Palo 19/05/09
     Read & React
    U.S. lawmakers to quiz Netanyahu over Palestinian state
    Responses: 252
    Bradley Burston: Obama, Netanyahu, and two states for spoiled brats
    Responses: 88
    Aluf Benn: Israel gives Obama until end of year on Iran
    Responses: 50
    Researchers: Jerusalem will lose Jewish majority by 2035
    Responses: 37


    More Headlines
    19:23 Netanyahu: Israel ready for immediate peace talks
    20:37 Gaza rocket devastates Negev home, lightly wounds man
    19:26 Israel and U.S. agree on need to stop Iran nuclear program
    14:46 Shin Bet: No chance for peace while Hamas rules Gaza
    12:59 Hamas: Obama looks to maintain Israel as racist state
    17:36 Hamas leader said fired for wanting distance from Iran, Syria
    19:34 Who was the 'Menachem' whose ancient jug was found in Jerusalem?
    20:35 Scientists unveil 'missing link' to human evolution
    00:06 WATCH: Daily news round-up from Israel
    20:28 New PA government sworn in, still under Fatah control
    20:10 'We never expected a nightmare like this,' says mother of missing teen
    17:35 Egyptian president's 12-year-old grandson dies
    14:37 High Court rules in favor of Reform conversions
    23:47 IN PICTURES / Obama meets Netanyahu at the White House
    10:31 Is Madonna bringing her 'Sticky & Sweet' tour to Israel?
    00:30 What Obama and Netanyahu really said to each other
    Previous Editions
    Special Offers
    Advertisement
    hotel Jerusalem
    David Citadel Hotel, come stay at the finest of Jerusalem hotels.
    ISRAEL ARMY SURPLUS STORE
    IDF insignia,Uniforms, Paladium Boots Watches, Israel Army T-shirts & Collectibles
    Dead Sea Skin Care
    Quality cosmetics from the Dead Sea. Coupon code HAARETZ for 12% off!
    Camp Kimama Israel 2009
    The best place for your children this summer
    Eldan Rent a Car
    Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
    Jewish Singles Personal Ads
    Find the love of your life on JDate.com
    Junkyard
    Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
    Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | | Israel 2009 election results
    Site rules | Makom: Engaging on Israel | Search engine marketing
    Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
    © Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved