Israel Faces Challenges As It Turns 60, NIF Head Says

The Canadian Jewish News, November 1, 2007

Sheldon Kirsher

TORONTO — Israel faces a host of challenges and a strategic threat as it approaches its 60th anniversary of statehood next year, says Eliezer Yaari, director general of the New Israel Fund.

In a recent speech at the First Narayever Congregation, Yaari – a former  Israeli combat pilot and Israel Broadcast Authority journalist – described Iran’s quest for a nuclear arsenal as “a very serious problem” that cannot be underestimated.

“It’s unacceptable that the president of a state – Iran – wants to destroy Israel,” he observed, saying that Iran’s openly stated objective is symptomatic  of the fact that Israel is not fully accepted in the region.

Seguing to the festering Palestinian question, Yaari warned that Israel cannot  be prosperous unless it is resolved.

“It has to bring the occupation to an end,” he said in a reference to Israel’s military and civilian presence in the West Bank.

The occupation, he added, is a prescription for “continuous friction and struggle” with the Palestinians, noted Yaari, whose organization promotes civil rights and religious pluralism and is dedicated to strengthening Israeli democracy.

He said that Israel and the Palestinians will have to compromise if peace is to be reached.

Israelis are ready to make concessions, but Palestinian suicide bombings have eroded Israeli confidence in the peace process.

If Israel is to be strong, it must grant its Arab minority completely equal rights.

But for all these years, Israeli Arabs have been the victims of discrimination in employment, housing and education,  he said.

The rights of minorities in Israel can  be ensured if Israel enacts a constitution, he said, describing some of NIF’s projects in the Israeli Arab sector.

Turning to Israeli society in general, Yaari said that the gap between haves and have-nots is growing.

Striking a more hopeful note, he said   that new Russian immigrants have made a “tremendous contribution” to Israel, particularly in high-tech.

More and more Israelis are philanthropic, he said with satisfaction.

Overall, two-thirds of Israelis donate to charities, but the level of gift-giving  exceeds 90 per cent among religious Israelis.