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Needed: A new deal for our rich uncles overseas By Anshel Pfeffer It is probably impossible to estimate how much Jewish money arrives in Israel every year. Take the $300 million plus that the American federations and the United Jewish Appeal send the Jewish Agency, add to that the fund-raising of the Jewish National Fund and the major universities, hospitals, schools and yeshivas, the charitable foundations of the various cities and local councils, social programs of every possible size and hue, the scholarships and the soup kitchens. It adds up to untold billions. But will it continue to pour in? Is there a new generation of Jewish philanthropists prepared to carry on signing checks? Two gatherings that took place in Israel this week dealt with the future of Jewish philanthropy, and both to a great degree evaded this question though it lurked in the background. Advertisement A Tel Aviv University conference on "Religion and International Aid" tried to put the fight against disease and poverty in the Third World on the agenda of the Jewish world. The Jewish Funders Network held its annual conference, for the first time in Jerusalem in a bid to educate Israeli donors in the ways of strategic philanthropy. Both efforts were noble ventures, of course, but the underlying fear is that Israel is just not attractive enough for American Jewish millionaires who were born after it became a colonialist power and for whom "Exodus" is the title of a rather badly written book and a cheesy movie. Whether their Jewish identities are strong or non-existent, these rich people find it strange to be asked to subsidize a country with the world's highest number of successful high-tech startups per capita. So to get them excited, giving money to Jewish and Israeli causes has to be linked to seemingly worthier causes like fighting AIDS in Africa and providing disaster relief in the Far East. And so these donors won't feel like suckers, Israeli tycoons will have to prove that they, too, are pulling their weight. Meanwhile, the fund-raising operations are being forced to diversify. A new, previously untapped oil-rich field has opened up in the former Soviet Union, where the newly rich oligarchs are just beginning to come to terms with their wealth. Every major organization is now recruiting young, personable, Russian-speakers to help them realize their potential, and offices are opening at every spot on the globe where Jews are making money, from Almaty to Shanghai. The world's Jewish community will remain Israel's biggest source of funds for the foreseeable future. But if American donors continue losing interest, then their peers in other countries will follow suit. In philanthropy, as in every pastime of the rich, fashion is everything. Israel stands to lose billions if it becomes unfashionable. This is, of course, a slight exaggeration. There are still many committed younger donors in the Jewish world, who are prepared to put their money where their hearts are. But a weaker cash flow isn't the only reason why Israelis should be rethinking their attitude toward their rich uncles overseas. Despite a robust economy, Israel isn't on a par with the wealthy countries of the West, and even if we sometimes kid ourselves that we might be on the way there, there are several handicaps to overcome. And the biggest one is that whatever success the current negotiations with the Palestinians might achieve, there is no chance in the foreseeable future that Israel can allow itself to spend such a large part of its budget on defense. While a large, well-equipped military is still a prerequisite for existing in this neighborhood, in today's globalized economy, with young people aware as never before that comfort and luxuries are readily available elsewhere, Israel can't afford to sacrifice material quality of life to finance its security costs. And to ensure long-term survival, we will have to get serious about addressing social gaps, bringing the ultra-Orthodox community into the workplace and finding a way to make Israeli Arabs feel they are equal citizens. All this leads to the inescapable conclusion that a major financial contribution from world Jewry remains necessary. Regrettable, but true. Thus the Israeli leadership faces a difficult challenge. A nation that needs to play in the major leagues cannot allow itself to be subservient to outside benefactors. But a country still reliant to a large degree on these benefactors has to find a way of making them feel like partners. The only way to do this is to reconcile our limitations with out ambitions. Israel has to act like a country on its way to self-sufficiency and is rich enough today to take a look around and join in the Western world's efforts to fight poverty in the Third world. It's not nearly enough to be spending a miserly 0.06 percent of its GDP for international development, and half of that for absorbing new immigrants from poor countries. And the best way of boosting that contribution can only be a partnership with world Jewry. Partnership, and not just check-writing, will have to be the way forward in any philanthropic venture. The rich Jews from overseas don't need the Israelis pitching in to save themselves money. They need it because that's the only way they can truly feel they are helping Israel to to grow up and be a nation capable of standing on its own two feet. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Lost giant Endangered sea turtle washes up on Gaza's shore and is eaten. Not worried Nearly half of Israeli Arabs say let Iran develop nukes.

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