Pago 3-THE NEWSJuna/July, 1963
Foeas On Israel Keooy Gross
U.S. Aid and Israelis Economic Welfare
There has been much writ
ten and spoken about the ex
tent of the dependence of
Israel economically on U.S.
aid, per the White House,
and also from the UJA and
Israeli Bonds. Many, have
as a result of inaccuracies in
their basic facts and their in-
terpretation, come to
misleading conclusions. It
is, therefore, well to go to
original sources so as to be
able to understand fully
these vital statistics upon
which much of Israel’s
political strategy is shaped.
Before the government of
Israel can claim support, (as
it has) for its external
policies, it must have
satisfied its citizens’ main
requirements internally.
Education is allocated a ma
jor portion of its budget.
Currently over 1.25 million
students are enrolled in its
education system. Education
is free and compulsory for all
children aged 5-16 and for
those who continue through
high school. About 116,000
students attend accredited
universities and other in
stitutions of higher learning.
More that 30,000 take adult
The first part of our three-
part Tanacb or Hebrew Bible
has several names. We call it
the Torah, the “T” in the
acronym, Tanacb. It is also
called the Cbumash, mean
ing simply “five” in
Hebrew; or the Pentateuch
{penta is “five” in Greek); or
the Five Books of Moses.
The English titles of these
five s' farim are generally
descriptive of their contents.
Genesis (meaning “origin”)
gives the account of the
Creation; Exodus is the “go
ing out” from Egypt.
Leviticus is a compilation of
laws relating to the Levits,
the priests who were
members of the tribe of Levi.
Numbers refers to the census
of the Israelites in the
wilderness; and finally,
Deuteronomy (deutero is
Greek for “second”) is the
repetition, the “second tell
ing” of the Mosaic laws. If
you want to make an
acronym to help you
remember these titles in
courses through the Open
University. Israel has the
highest rate in the world for
preschool programs.
Israel has a broad range of
social legislation and ser
vices. Through all its dif
ficult years, no family has
starved nor become a burden
on United Nations’
assistance. Her doctor-to-
population ratio of 1:415 is
one of the highest in the
world. Israelis read more ex
tensively than any other peo
ple; 3700 books are published
annually, as are approx
imately 700 newspapers and
magazines. Per capita
subscriptions to per
formances by the Israel
Philharmonic Orchestra is
the highest in the world.
In the economic field, it
has achieved almost self suf
ficiency in food supply. Its
net export of goods had
climbed to reach $4.8 billion
in 1982, consisting of 90 per
cent industrial products,
especially in the field of
high-technology electronic
equipment. About half of its
exports go to Europe and
about 20 percent to the U.S.
Tourism earned $900 million
their proper order, you’d get'
GELeND.
The Hebrew titles of the
same s’farim are not
necessarily descriptive of
contents, but rather are
taken from the opening
words of each Hebrew book.
Genesis is known as Bereshit
from its first word, “in the
beginning.” Exodus is called
Sbemot from the opening
phrase, “Ve-eleb sbemot.
These are the names..." The
third book, Leviticus, is
Vayikra, after the opening
word, “And the Lord called
to Moses...” Numbers, the
fourth book of the Torah, is
Be-midbar, “in the
wilderness.” Finally,
Deuteronomy is Devarim,
“words,” from the opening
phrase: “These are the
words which Moses
spoke....” An acronym made
up of the first letters of the
Hebrew titles is a little
trickier, but manageable:
BeSH-VeBeD. Try it!
in 1982.
The 1983 budget amounted
to $19 billion of which 30 per
cent ($6 billion) was
allocated to defense. The
gross national product for
1983 is $28 billion (defense
absorbs 21 Vi percent). The
defense proportion must
rank as the highest in the
Western world.
Contributions received
from U.S. campaigns in 1982
were $247 million from the
UJA and $48 million from
Project Renewal. These
amounts are paid to the
Jewish Agency which is in
dependent of the Israeli
government and are used for
special purposes only. They
are not included in the
budget figures stated above.
The UJA receipts are the
equivalent of 1.3 percent of
the 1983 national budget,
whilst my calculation of the
saving to Israel on the bonds
sold in the U.S. (arising from
low rate of interest paid) is
approximately $120 million
per annum, equivalent to .6
percent of 1983 budget.
Aid received from the U.S.
government (by way of
grants) is of a much higher
order. For 1983 Israel has
been allocated $1,535 billion
which represents 8 percent of
its budget. I have excluded
aid by way of repayable
loans which carry interest at
commerical rates and which
are regularly repaid. In 1982
Israel repaid $890 million
and will receive $1 billion in
1983 on loan account.
The salient facts from
these figures emerge as
follows:
1. The extraordinary
heavy burden borne by the
comparatively few Israeli
citizens and taxpayers.
2. The greatest contribu
tion U.S. Jews can make is to
ensure the support of Capitol
EARN 15%
Interest Paid Monthly
8 months min 30 months max
FULLY SECURED
AND INSURED
$2,000 MIN.
CALL: 302.0161
366-1025
Hill for Israel. U.S. grants
exceed UJA contribution 6 to
1. In the present Congress
and Senate, Israel is blessed
with many strong friends in
both parties. This strength
has shown itself in con
testing and over-riding
White House recommenda
tions. It increased grants to
Israel far above the amounts
proposed by the Administra
tion.
3, The significance of con
tributions by way of UJA
and Operation Renewal can
not be overstated. Without
these funds Israel would not
be able to receive and absorb
the flow of immigrants which
is so necessary for its ex
istence. Its national budget
is cut so drastically for any
purposes other than defense,
that the immigration and ab
sorption programs would be
starved of funds to finance
the future of the state.
I have stressed the over
riding role of the U.S.
government aid. How can we
make our own contributions
more effective? The one
direction that sticks out so
prominently is that of invest
ment. This requires a change
of attitude away from philan
thropy to an active par
ticipation in the economic af
fairs of Israel. I am not sug
gesting a wild dash to Israel
to set up businesses. There
are well established agencies
for advice and guidance. The
country sorely needs capital
and in some areas “know
how” in which the Jews o^
the Diaspora abound. In
vestment in productive
enterprise brings with it
employment, increase in na
tional product, strength for
currency, a wider tax base
and above all “new” people
by way of Aliyah. This of
course reduces Israel’s
dependence on foreign aid
and strengthens her securi
ty. “Know how” is our gold
and oil. It is awaiting ex
ploitation. To me this is in
surance for the continuation
of the State of Israel. There
is no other way. The benefits
of gifts and loans and aid are
shortlived and perhaps, in
cases, are even self
defeating. If we do not join
our brothers in Israel in
developing our people’s
resources and in increasing
its population then Israel’s
future is bleak indeed.
Having furnished you with
the comparative statistics of
Israel’s budget and of the
smallness of UJA contribu
tions in the “whole” picture,
I hope that we will no longer
hear those oft repeated
assertions that the existence
of Israel depends on the
generosity of some in
dividual or group of in
dividuals in the Diaspora. .
We can make our cam
paigns more effective. Too
many are left “untouched”
especially in larger cities.
There is also the ever present
problem of retention for local
needs. In a certain city with
a very large Jewish popula
tion, 62 percent is kept back
and only 38 percent remitted.
How greedy can these
“baalebatim” (bosses) be?
Charlotte has a target of a
sixty percent remittance. It
seems to me that some cities
must score from trading
under the UJA name. It is
high time that the national
UJA leaders firmed up their
rules.
If this article “provokes,”
then I pray that it will lead to
a better distribution of the
burden and most of all, in
dicate in which directions we
should aim, for the continui
ty of our State of Israel and
perhaps even of the Jewish
people as a whole.
THE CHARLOTTE JEWISH NEWS
Published monthly by:
Jewish Community Center
Harold Cohen. Director
Charlotte Jewish Federation
Foundation of Charlotte Jewish Community
Marvia Bienstock, Director
Charlotte Hebrew Academy
Eleanor Weinglass. Director
Editors -Ann Langman & Rita Mond
Cartoonist Monroe Katz
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