The document is a newsletter from an American-Jewish organization providing news and commentary on political issues. It discusses recent polls showing strong support for Israel among Americans and American Jews continuing to support Democrats. It also covers upcoming Palestinian efforts to upgrade their UN status, issues surrounding Jewish marriage in Israel, and an article by a Saudi writer arguing that the real enemies of the Arab world are internal problems rather than Israel.

1. AN AMERICAN JEWISH – GERMAN INFORMATION & OPINION
NEWSLETTER
10 Voorhis Point, South Nyack, NY (845)353-1945
dubowdigest@optonline.net
GERMANY EDITION
October 18, 2012
Dear Friends:
We are now through two of the three planned Presidential debates and election
fever is at an all time high. During the second debate, as you have probably heard
from your own media, Pres. Obama and Gov. Romney almost came to fisticuffs.
Even with all the campaigning, one group’s votes do not change much; that of the
Jewish community. Still pretty solid for the Democrats. (See below)
As I explained in my American Edition, I’m exhausted hearing, reading and watching
political ads. There seems to no end to it. After Nov. 6th I may get some rest but P.M.
Netanyahu has called for a January election in Israel and so I’ll be glued to the
computer following that. When that finishes the German election season, I am sure,
will be picking up steam. With the SPD Chancellor candidate selected there will be
no rest for the weary. It’s O.K. not to feel sorry for me.
I want to direct you to my Oct. 16th American Edition which you can access at
www.dubowdigest.typepad.com . There are two articles, which I think should bear
your attention. One deals with circumcision and the other with what is being seen by
some as a troubling rise in anti-Semitism in Germany. Both matters have received
considerable coverage in the American-Jewish, as well as general, press here in the
U.S. I’d be interested in your reaction.
If there is any energy left over from politics it is being spent on following the baseball
championship playoffs which in about a week will culminate in the beginning of the
World Series. There is lots of discussion about the collapse of the favored New York
Yankees who are now on the cusp of elimination. That doesn’t make me sad. I’m a
confirmed New York Mets fan, who didn’t even come close to making the playoffs,
and an equally confirmed Yankee hater. Vital information for your records!
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2. Enough! Let’s get on with the news…
IN THIS EDITION
SOME RECENT POLLS – On Israel & American Jews. Views and being viewed.
PALESTINIANS: BACK TO THE UN – What will the Palestinians gain (or lose) by
going to the General Assembly?
THE PROBLEMS SURROUNDING JEWISH MARRIAGE – Muddying the waters on
“Who’s a Jew”.
AN ARAB POINT OF VIEW (PLEASE READ IT) – An enormously important article
from a Saudi writer.
AMERICAN CHRISTIANS & ISRAEL – Who loves Israel and who doesn’t.
HOW MANY ARE THERE? Jews in Israel that is.
SOME RECENT POLLS
Most of us here in the U.S. that follow politics are, by this time, sick of polls. The
political ups and downs can be wearying. However, once we get away from daily
(Who’s ahead?) politics some of the polls turn out to be quite interesting.
A recent survey by the Foreign Policy Initiative found that, “Seventy percent of
Americans view Israel favorably”.
The Jerusalem Post reported, “Moreover, when asked their view of Israel, nearly 81
percent of political conservatives share that view while the number is at 68.5 percent
for moderates and roughly 63 percent of liberals.
The survey, called Foreign Policy Matters in 2012, was conducted from Sept. 15-17
by Basswood Research for the Foreign Policy Initiative. Its margin of error is 3.1
percent. Roughly 40 percent of respondents identified as Republicans, 40 percent
as Democrats and 20 percent as either Independents or with no party affiliation.
When asked the open-ended question who was “America’s best ally in the world?”
Israel came in at 15.9 percent, second only to the United Kingdom, which had
54 percent.
******
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3. There has been a great deal written about the friction between Prime Minister
Netanyahu and President Obama. In addition, much of the European press is,
and has been for a long time, critical of the Israeli Prime Minister. However,
none of that seems to have had any affect on the Israeli public.
Haaretz recently reported, “If elections were held today, according to the latest
Haaretz-Dialog poll, Benjamin Netanyahu would have no trouble forming his
third government. And that poll was conducted before his appearance this
week at the UN.
…as compared to poll conducted two months ago, held in the shadow of the tax
increases and the economic belt-tightening, the new one shows that Netanyahu has
gained in popularity, and that the gap between Likud and Labor has increased from
four to eight projected Knesset seats (i.e., to 28 and to 20 seats, respectively). The
Likud-rightist-Haredi bloc has also increased its strength - to 66 Knesset seats, if the
election were to be held today.
There is much more to the story, most of it dealing with the elements going into the
now scheduled early election. You can read it all by clicking here.
http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/as-early-elections-loom-netanyahu-s-standing-
in-polls-is-stronger-than-ever.premium-1.467275
*****
In anticipation of the American election AJC published its 2012 Survey of American
Jewish Opinion. In terms of the upcoming election the results were 64.9% Obama,
24.1% Romney and 9.9% undecided.
These numbers are pretty much in lock step with those I reported in the last edition
of DuBow Digest.
Perhaps, more interesting were the answers to the other questions in the poll. For
instance, almost 80% were between moderate and liberal while only 18.7% leaned
conservative or considered themselves conservative.
54.8% listed themselves as Democrats, 15.8% Republican and 26.8% Independent
There are many other questions in the poll which you can access by clicking here
http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=ijITI2PHKoG&b=846741&ct=12208961
By and large American Jewry remains liberal and intensely interested in all the
questions that confront them as American citizens. Interestingly, the issue of the
economy ranks at the top of “important issues” while “U.S. – Israel Relations” comes
in way behind in fourth place.
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4. I believe if the danger to Israel was seen as something larger and more apparent,
the numbers would be much higher. However, the Iran nuclear issue apparently is
not seen in such dark and ominous terms. Obviously, the Israeli government and
those American Jewish organizations that have the view that there is greater danger
have not made their case as yet. Iran’s nuclear program is only seen as an issue of
importance by 1.3% of those responding.
PALESTINIANS: BACK TO THE UN
There is little doubt that, given the “Iran problem”, the matter of Palestinian
statehood has been pushed to the back burner. However, it has certainly not gone
away, but with the continued internal problems the Palestinians have (Hamas vs.
Fatah – West Bank vs. Gaza) no immediate movement toward an agreement with
Israel seems to be forthcoming. However, Pres. Abbas, no matter his own political
weakness, is intent on getting some sort of recognition in the UN.
Reuters (via JTA) reported, “The United Nations is likely to hold a debate on
whether to upgrade the Palestinians’ U.N. status to a sovereign country in mid-
November - after the U.S. election, the president of the 193-member U.N. General
Assembly said on Wednesday.
Having failed last year to win recognition of full statehood at the United Nations,
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said last week he would seek a less-
ambitious status upgrade at the world body to make it a “non-member state” like the
Vatican.
The Palestinians’ current U.N. status is an “observer entity.” If Abbas wins, that
would change to “observer state.”
“Come the middle of November, there’s going to be an international debate on the
Palestine issue in the General Assembly,” U.N. General Assembly President Vuk
Jeremic told a news conference.
“There are electoral and political calendars in many parts of the world,” he said in a
reference covering the Nov. 6 U.S. election.
“My understanding is the Palestinian Authority leadership is going to engage in
extensive discussions … coming to a conclusion as to what they want to do some
time in November.”
Upgraded status for a Palestinian state could be uncomfortable for Israel. Being
registered as a state rather than an entity would mean the Palestinians could join
bodies such as the International Criminal Court and file a raft of complaints against
Israel for its continued occupation.
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5. An upgraded status would also anger Israel’s close ally, the United States, which
argues that a Palestinian state can only be created through direct negotiations.
There have been no direct Palestinian talks with Israel on peace since 2010, when
the Palestinians refused to resume negotiations unless the Israeli government
suspended settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said last week that the two-state solution was
the only sustainable option for peace. But he said the continued growth of Israeli
settlements meant that “the door may be closing, for good.”
The so-called two-state solution involves the creation of a state of Palestine to exist
peacefully alongside Israel.
Both Israel and the U.S. are opposed to any General Assembly resolution believing
that such a declaration would harm the possibility of direct negotiations. On the other
hand, the Palestinians believe (Jerusalem Post), “…that a UN resolution that sets
the territorial parameters of the two-state solution at the pre-1967 lines would help
pave the way for a final status agreement between Israelis and Palestinians.
The Israelis are very much opposed to the setting of the territorial parameters at the
1967 lines believing that all territorial matters have to be decided upon in direct
negotiations.
There is no question that a UN General Assembly resolution will dramatically harden
the Israeli position. With Israeli elections coming up, probably in early 2013, such a
declaration would enhance P.M. Netanyahu’s political situation. If Pres. Obama is re-
elected we will have to wait and see what his position will be if and when it comes to
pass.
Given the other problems in the Middle East such as the disaster that is Syria, the
continuing fragile situation in Iraq, the ups and downs of the “Arab Spring” it is hard
to see how the Israel – Palestinian situation can move forward. However, it is still
there and must be dealt with in some fashion. What that fashion will be remains an
unanswerable question at the moment.
I want to bring your attention to a most interesting article by Dr. Tal Becker, a widely
respected academic and observer of the Middle East scene. Abbas’s Five Non-
Options is printed as Policy Note13 by The Washington Institute for Near East
Policy.
Dr. Becker’s article delves deeply into the options that Palestinian President Abbas
has before him. None of them are very good such as the re-starting of negotiations
(not happening at the moment), the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority,
reconciliation with Hamas, the UN option and the initiation of non-violent
demonstrations. It’s 8 pages but very readable, balanced and deals realistically with
the problems the Palestinians are facing. Click here to access it.
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6. . http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/PolicyNote13.pdf
THE PROBLEMS SURROUNDING JEWISH MARRIAGE
Marriage is usually an institution that normally is meant to bind individuals, families,
clans and even nations. European royalty is a good example. However, the
problems of Jewish marriage is causing a great deal of trouble in Israel and,
therefore, in Jewish communities around the world.
To understand the problem one must understand that according to Halacha, Jewish
law, in order to be considered Jewish one must be born to a Jewish mother or
properly converted. That’s it! No exceptions!
The Jerusalem Post recently reported, “Of the interminable squabbles that have
erupted in recent years between the religious establishment and proponents for
greater inclusiveness in matters of Jewish identity, the issue of Jewish marriage is
perhaps the most fundamental and explosive of them all.
In particular, the arrival of over one million immigrants from the former Soviet Union
since 1990, including approximately 330,000 people who are of Jewish descent but
are not accepted as Jewish according to Halacha, led the religious establishment to
demand that all immigrants provide proof of their Jewish lineage before being
allowed to marry in a Jewish wedding ceremony.
But there are an increasing number of people who, instead of complying with the
dictates of the Chief Rabbinate, marry abroad in civil ceremonies which are not
available in Israel but which are subsequently recognized by the state.
This phenomenon is causing great concern to those who argue that it is leading to
the division of the Jewish people in Israel into two groups: those who are recognized
as Jewish and the growing population of those whose Jewish lineage is cast into
doubt as a result of the dramatic increase in civil marriages conducted abroad.
This phenomenon is causing great concern to those who argue that it is leading to
the division of the Jewish people in Israel into two groups: those who are recognized
as Jewish and the growing population of those whose Jewish lineage is cast into
doubt as a result of the dramatic increase in civil marriages conducted abroad.
To many this sort of split doesn’t have much meaning. However, in Israel and in
Orthodox communities throughout the world (including Germany) this Jewish division
has real meaning and possible disastrous implications. If you are interested in the
subject and want to pursue it further click here to read the entire article.
http://www.jpost.com/Features/FrontLines/Article.aspx?id=285743
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7. AN ARAB POINT OF VIEW (PLEASE READ IT)
I do not quote much from the Arab press. Most of the articles that deal with Israel
and/or Middle East peace seem very one sided and are frequently filled with anti-
Israel invective. However, every once in a while I come across something that I think
should be shared. The article below deserves to be widely distributed and read.
Because I was so touched by it I’ve decided to re-print it in its entirety.
The author is Abdulateef Al-Mulhim and the piece is entitled, “Arab Spring and the
Israeli Enemy”. It appeared on the Internet in Arab News. Mr. Al-Mulhim writes
essays and op-eds that appear in regularly in Arab News, the SUSRISblog and
elsewhere. He is retired from the Royal Saudi Navy at the rank of Commodore.
Arab Spring and the Israeli Enemy
Thirty-nine years ago, on Oct. 6, 1973, the third major war between the Arabs and
Israel broke out. The war lasted only 20 days. The two sides were engaged in two
other major wars, in 1948 and 1967.
The 1967 War lasted only six days. But, these three wars were not the only Arab-
Israel confrontations. From the period of 1948 and to this day many confrontations
have taken place. Some of them were small clashes and many of them were full-
scale battles, but there were no major wars apart from the ones mentioned above.
The Arab-Israeli conflict is the most complicated conflict the world ever experienced.
On the anniversary of the 1973 War between the Arab and the Israelis, many people
in the Arab world are beginning to ask many questions about the past, present and
the future with regard to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The questions now are: What was the real cost of these wars to the Arab world and
its people. And the harder question that no Arab national wants to ask is: What was
the real cost for not recognizing Israel in 1948 and why didn’t the Arab states spend
their assets on education, health care and the infrastructures instead of wars? But,
the hardest question that no Arab national wants to hear is whether Israel is the real
enemy of the Arab world and the Arab people.
I decided to write this article after I saw photos and reports about a starving child in
Yemen, a burned ancient Aleppo souk in Syria, the under developed Sinai in Egypt,
car bombs in Iraq and the destroyed buildings in Libya. The photos and the reports
were shown on the Al-Arabiya network, which is the most watched and respected
news outlet in the Middle East.
The common thing among all what I saw is that the destruction and the atrocities are
not done by an outside enemy. The starvation, the killings and the destruction in
these Arab countries are done by the same hands that are supposed to protect and
build the unity of these countries and safeguard the people of these countries. So,
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8. the question now is that who is the real enemy of the Arab world?
The Arab world wasted hundreds of billions of dollars and lost tens of thousands of
innocent lives fighting Israel, which they considered is their sworn enemy, an enemy
whose existence they never recognized. The Arab world has many enemies and
Israel should have been at the bottom of the list. The real enemies of the Arab world
are corruption, lack of good education, lack of good health care, lack of freedom,
lack of respect for the human lives and finally, the Arab world had many dictators
who used the Arab-Israeli conflict to suppress their own people.
These dictators’ atrocities against their own people are far worse than all the full-
scale Arab-Israeli wars.
In the past, we have talked about why some Israeli soldiers attack and mistreat
Palestinians. Also, we saw Israeli planes and tanks attack various Arab countries.
But, do these attacks match the current atrocities being committed by some Arab
states against their own people.
In Syria, the atrocities are beyond anybody’s imaginations? And, isn’t the Iraqis are
the ones who are destroying their own country? Wasn’t it Tunisia’s dictator who was
able to steal 13 billion dollars from the poor Tunisians? And how can a child starve
in Yemen if their land is the most fertile land in the world? Why would Iraqi brains
leave Iraq in a country that makes 110 billion dollars from oil export? Why do the
Lebanese fail to govern one of the tiniest countries in the world? And what made the
Arab states start sinking into chaos?
On May 14, 1948 the state of Israel was declared. And just one day after that, on
May 15, 1948 the Arabs declared war on Israel to get back Palestine. The war
ended on March 10, 1949. It lasted for nine months, three weeks and two days. The
Arabs lost the war and called this war Nakbah (catastrophic war). The Arabs gained
nothing and thousands of Palestinians became refugees.
And on 1967, the Arabs led by Egypt under the rule of Gamal Abdul Nasser, went in
war with Israel and lost more Palestinian land and made more Palestinian refugees
who are now on the mercy of the countries that host them. The Arabs called this war
Naksah (upset). The Arabs never admitted defeat in both wars and the Palestinian
cause got more complicated. And now, with the never ending Arab Spring, the Arab
world has no time for the Palestinians refugees or Palestinian cause, because many
Arabs are refugees themselves and under constant attacks from their own forces.
Syrians are leaving their own country, not because of the Israeli planes dropping
bombs on them. It is the Syrian Air Force which is dropping the bombs. And now,
Iraqi Arab Muslims, most intelligent brains, are leaving Iraq for the east. In Yemen,
the world’s saddest human tragedy play is being written by the Yemenis. In Egypt,
the people in Sinai are forgotten.
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9. Finally, if many of the Arab states are in such disarray, then what happened to the
Arabs’ sworn enemy (Israel)? Israel now has the most advanced research
facilities, top universities and advanced infrastructure. Many Arabs don’t know
that the life expectancy of the Palestinians living in Israel is far longer than many
Arab states and they enjoy far better political and social freedom than many of
their Arab brothers. Even the Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip enjoy more political and social rights than some
places in the Arab World. Wasn’t one of the judges who sent a former Israeli
president to jail is an Israeli-Palestinian?
The Arab Spring showed the world that the Palestinians are happier and in
better situation than their Arab brothers who fought to liberate them from the
Israelis. Now, it is time to stop the hatred and wars and start to create better
living conditions for the future Arab generations.
All I can say is that if there were more leaders in the Arab world like Abdulateef
Al-Mulhim the Israeli – Palestinian dispute would have been settled years ago.
AMERICAN CHRISTIANS & ISRAEL
It’s no secret that keeping the relationship between the U.S. and Israel on a positive
footing is one of the most , if not the most, important item on the list of almost all
segments of American Jewry. Without the friendship of the U.S. Israel would be at
the mercy of the surrounding Arab countries and, in all likelihood, cease to exist as
the world’s only Jewish state. Since Jews are only about 2% of America’s population
the key is to continue to have the support of the Christian community.
Following World War II American Christian churches, by and large, were
sympathetic to the newly founded Jewish State with the exception of those that had
followings in the Middle East. Clearly religious institutions always have their political
side.
After the Six Day War (1967) things began to change. More of the left wing churches
(liberal) began to see the Palestinians as “underdogs” and more anti-Israel feeling
began to emerge. As a counterweight, the more right wing (evangelical) churches
saw in Israel a religious meaning for themselves and therefore became advocates
for the Jewish State.
Today there seems to be a genuine split in American Christian ranks. JTA recently
reported, “Fifteen leaders of U.S. churches and other faith-based organizations have
asked Congress to reevaluate U.S. military aid to Israel.
The religious leaders sent a letter to Congress members on Monday, calling for an
investigation into possible violations by Israel of the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act and
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10. the U.S. Arms Export Control Act, which would make Israel ineligible for U.S. military
aid.
"We write to you as Christian leaders representing U.S. churches and religious
organizations committed to seeking a just peace for Israelis and Palestinians," the
letter said, adding that the organizations have "worked alongside our Palestinian
Christian sisters and brothers to help build a peaceful and resilient Palestinian civil
society." The signatories said they were writing to Congress "to express our grave
concern about the deteriorating conditions in Israel and the occupied Palestinian
territories."
The American Jewish Committee [responded and] said it was outraged by the
Christian leaders' call. “When the world currently is focused on the Iranian nuclear
threat to the entire Middle East and the world, Christian leaders have chosen to
mount another political attack on Israel,” said Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC director of
Interreligious and Intergroup Relations. “When religious liberty and safety of
Christians across the Middle East are threatened by the repercussions of the Arab
Spring, these Christian leaders have chosen to initiate a polemic against Israel, a
country that protects religious freedom and expression for Christians, Muslims and
others.”
Now we come to the other side of the coin. Haaretz recently reported, “Waving blue
and white Israeli flags, thousands of evangelical Christians from around the world
filled streets of downtown Jerusalem on Thursday in a show of support for the
Jewish state.
The annual march during the week-long Jewish Sukkot holiday brings together
Christians from dozens of countries.
Evangelical Christians are known as strong supporters of Israel, providing financial
help and political backing, especially in the U.S. Even so, their hard-line views
toward Palestinians and suspect religious motivations make some moderate Israelis
and Jews abroad uncomfortable.
Evangelical support for Israel is rooted in Christian Zionism, which calls for the
return of Jewish exiles to the Holy Land to fulfill Biblical prophecies. Over the past
several decades, key figures in the evangelical movement have lobbied the U.S.
government to give greater support for Israel.
Thursday's event was organized by the International Christian Embassy of
Jerusalem, a group that promotes ties between Israel and the world's Christian
communities.
Strange! With vast majority of American Jews “liberal” on most of the social issues,
one would think that the liberal Christian churches would make for the most natural
of partnerships. And, since the evangelicals are socially conservative they would
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11. make the least favorable. Israel, obviously, is the difference maker.
It should be noted that not all liberal Christian churches or, certainly, not all liberal
Christians are “anti-Israel”. It is mostly the church bureaucracies connected to their
co-religionists in the Middle East from which the difficulties arise. No matter what,
American Jewry and their bureaucracies stay vigilant on the issue and try their best
to work with those church groups that do not seem so opposed on their most
important basic agenda item – Israel.
HOW MANY ARE THERE?
Every once in a while one of the Israeli or American universities decide that it’s time
to count how many Jews there are in Israel. (As a child I thought that almost all Jews
lived in the Bronx even though I knew that some lived in a place called Palestine
because we saved nickels and dimes for the Jewish National Fund to buy land and
plant trees)
I was wrong! And, now, according to Y-Net News, “The global Jewish population
reached 13.75 million in the past year, with an increase of 88,000 people, a study by
Hebrew University Professor Sergio Della Pergola reveals. According to the study,
one out of every 514 people in the world is Jewish, less than 0.2% of mankind.
About 43% of the world’s Jewish community lives in Israel, making Israel the country
with the largest Jewish population.
The Central Bureau of Statistics reported on the eve of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish
New Year 5773, that the total population of Israel in 2012 grew to nearly 8 million.
About 73% of the population is native born.
The Israeli Jewish population stands at 5,978,600, up 1.8%; the Arab population
numbers at 1,636,600, up 2.4%; and the rest of the population including Christians
and non-Jews reached 318,000 people, up 1.3%. Israel’s Jewish population makes
up 75% of the state’s total people.
In all, the Jewish state’s population increased by 96,300 people in 2012, a growth
rate that did not diverge from the average rate in the past eight years.
Part of Israel’s population increase comes in part of the new immigrants that have
arrived to the country. In 2011, Israel welcomed 16,892 new immigrants as citizens,
with the largest populations coming from Russia (3,678), followed by Ethiopia
(2,666), United States (2,363), Ukraine (2,051) and France (1,775).
Israel’s population is relatively young compared to populations in other western
countries, with 28% of the population aged 0-14. Israel’s life expectancy is one of
the highest of the international Organization for Economic Cooperation and
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12. Development’s (OECD) 34 member states, with Jewish males’ life expectancy 4.2
years higher than their Arab counterparts.
The Central Bureau of Statistics also found that 40% of Israel’s population lives in
the center of the country, with Tel Aviv as Israel’s densest region, while 17 % lives in
the north, 14% in the south, 12% in Jerusalem and Haifa, and 4% in Judea and
Samaria.
Over 47,885 couples married in Israel in the past year, of which 75% were Jewish
and 21% Muslim. In 2011, there were 166, 296 babies born in Israel.
It’s pretty clear we’re not evaporating any time soon.
********************************************************************************************
See you in November
. DuBow Digest is written and published by Eugene DuBow who can be contacted
by clicking here
Both the American and Germany editions are posted at
www.dubowdigest.typepad.com
Click here to connect
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