ANNUAL ASSESSMENT 2010 Executive Report No. 7 Special In-Depth Chapters: Systematic Indicators of Jewish People Trends De-Legitimization and Jewish Youth in the Diaspora !e Impact of Political Shifts and Global Economic Developments on the Jewish People PROJECT HEAD Dr. Shlomo Fischer CONTRIBUTORS Avinoam Bar-Yosef, Sylvia Barack Fishman, Barry Geltman, Avi Gil, Inbal Hakman, Michael Herzog, Arielle Kandel, Yogev Karasenty, Judit Bokser Liwerant, Dov Maimon, Alberto Milkewitz, Yehudah Mirsky, Steven Popper, Shmuel Rosner, Avia Spivak, Shalom Solomon Wald EDITOR Rami Tal Editor Rami Tal Copyright © !e Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) (Established by the Jewish Agency for Israel, Ltd.) Jerusalem 2011/5771 JPPI, Givat Ram Campus, P.O.B 39156, Jerusalem 91391, Israel Telephone: 972-2-5633356 | Fax: 972-2-5635040 | www.jppi.org.il All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without express written permission from the publisher. Printed and Distributed by the Jewish People Policy Institute Graphic Design: Lotte Design Cover Design: Shlomit Wolf, Lotte Design ISBN 978-965-7549-02-5 Annual Assessment 2010 - Table of Contents Foreword – Amb. Stuart Eizenstat 5 Major Developments and Policy Directions 9 Selected Indicators on World Jewry – 2010 17 1. A System of Indicators for Measuring the Well-Being of the Jewish People 19 2. Significant Global Developments & Challanges 2009-2010: Possible Implications for the Jewish People Developments in the Geopolitical Arena and their Possible Implications for Israel and the Jewish People 49 2010 – !e Triangular Relationship between Washington, Jerusalem and the Jewish Communities 71 Global Economic Changes: Implications for Israel and the Jewish People 83 Asia’s Rise: Implications for Israel and the Jewish People 107 Latin American Jewry Today 123 3. In Depth Chapter – De-legitimization of Israel and Israel Attachments Among Jewish Young Adults in North America and Europe 139 4. Developments to Watch 2010 Religious Issues and Israel-Diaspora Relations 193 !e Jewish Free School Case in London and the Hebrew Charter Schools in the US 197 New Findings Concerning the Genome Structure of the Jewish People 201 Foreword !e Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), whose In October 2010, JPPI’s annual conference brought board of directors I am privileged to chair, was 120 Jewish leaders, thinkers, and decision makers, created in 2002 with a unique mission, which no with a stronger representation than ever before other organization in the world performs: to serve from Latin America and Europe, as well as North as a think tank for the Jewish people worldwide, America. We organized into several working looking at strategic challenges facing all major groups, on crucial subjects like the e"ort to de- Diaspora Jewish communities and the State of legitimize Israel as a nation state for the Jewish Israel, and proposing recommendations to policy people; the growing challenge of di"erent standards makers to meet those challenges. for conversion to Judaism; Israel’s security threats JPPI performs this critical and unique task with and the peace process; Diaspora-Israel relations; a group of distinguished scholars and fellows in and the special challenges of European Jewry. Jerusalem who bring world-class expertise to the !e importance with which Israeli leaders hold examination of both internal challenges facing our conference was demonstrated by the fact the Jewish people - like demographic trends, that some half dozen senior ministers of the Jewish and Israeli cohesion, intermarriage, and the government spent hours with us in these working multiple facets of Diaspora-Israel relations, and groups. We were addressed in plenary sessions by external threats, from Iran’s nuclear ambitions the President, Prime Minister, Defense Minister, to the arms buildup by Hamas and Hezbollah, leader of the opposition; and the Chairman of the and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. JPPI Jewish Agency. produces papers, books, and notes on these and With all of these activities, perhaps the single most other topics, sponsors seminars and conferences, important contribution JPPI provides to the Jewish and brings together leaders of major Jewish world is our annual assessment. Like its predecessors, organizations, and leading Jewish figures from the the 2010 JPPI Annual Assessment provides an four corners of the world in an annual conference invaluable snapshot of the major developments in Jerusalem. and policy directions in the Jewish world, along with THE JEWISH PEOPLE POLICY INSTITUTE 5 significant global developments and challenges in companies was highlighted by Israel’s admission the broader world in the future. !ese include geo- in 2010 to the Paris-based Organization of political developments; global economic changes Economic Cooperation and Development and their implications for the Jewish people and the (OECD), the organization of leading industrial State of Israel; the importance of the rise of Asia; and democracies. Yet, the Annual Assessment the triangular relationship between Washington, points to a troubling decline by Israeli Jerusalem, and the American Jewish community. students in international tests, at a time when !e 2010 Assessment also presents a fascinating educational attainment is the most important set of indicators that tell us who we are and where ingredient nations need to compete and we are headed globally. !ese indicators also tell us succeed in the global marketplace. about Jewish day school participation, per capita t U.S. support for Israel has always been GDP, out-marriage rates, Aliyah, and numbers of bipartisan. But the JPPI Annual Assessment Jews by country visiting Israel. warns that while there is continued support I would like to highlight a few of the particularly among American Republicans, enthusiasm by interesting areas and policy recommendations some Democrats is waning. covered by the 2010 JPPI Annual Assessment. t JPPI in 2010 stresses the importance of Jewish t !e upheaval in the Arab world is reviewed organizations and supporters of Israel focusing with a fresh and objective perspective on its on college campuses in the U.S. and Europe, in impact on Israel. which Israel is increasingly cast in a negative t !ere is an important action-oriented light by its opponents. !is is from where recommendation to further strengthen Israel’s our leaders for the future will be coming, but relationship with the US, its most important they, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, are often ally, at a time of economic stress in America: not armed with facts to counter false attacks a “Buy American” campaign in Israel to buy against Israel, part of the e"ort to de-legitimize U.S. products, such as automobiles for Israeli Israel as a Jewish state. government fleets, and other American t Looking forward, Steven Popper, one of JPPI’s products and services. bevy of expert scholars, describes a novel and t !e Assessment analyzes a series of troubling important project he has embarked upon, to illiberal religious and political initiatives in provide a multi-year examination, of the health Israel, including loyalty oaths for non-Jews, of the Jewish world from multiple perspectives: which could a"ect Israel’s image in the world, Its hard and soft power; the perpetuation of and among Diaspora Jews. Jewish culture; the traditional Jewish concept of betterment of the world, Tikkun Olam; Jewish t Israel’s remarkable economic progress as a religion and practice; Israel as a Jewish nation global leader in high tech and other start-up 6 THE JEWISH PEOPLE POLICY INSTITUTE state; and strengthening Jewish communities around the globe. Professor Popper’s project furthers JPPI’s unique contribution to the Jewish people. Everyone connected to the production of the 2010 JPPI Annual Assessment is to be congratulated for their contribution to this important volume. Special thanks go to Dr. Shlomo Fischer, the Project Director, for this Assessment, and to Avinoam Bar- Yosef, the president of JPPI, who injects a sense of purpose and direction to the Institute, and with whom I am proud to serve. Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat Chairman of the Board and Professional Council Jewish People Policy Institute THE JEWISH PEOPLE POLICY INSTITUTE 7 Major Developments1 1 and Policy Directions In 2010 the Jewish people started to face challenges A. !e Geopolitical Plane which seem to be qualitatively di"erent than those with which it has been confronted hitherto. 1. !e Arab Israel Conflict Among the developments which represent these challenges we find the following: the breakdown a. Breakdown of direct talks between Israel and of direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians Palestinian Authority in September 2010. and attempts to introduce a solution imposed b. Palestinian appeal to the international from outside; a de-legitimization campaign community to recognize Palestinian state directed against Israel which involves numerous within borders of June 4, 1967. !is course geographical locations and arenas; popular of action represents a Palestinian move uprisings involving government and regime away from bi-lateral negotiations conducted change in the Middle East; a perception of the between Israel and the Palestinians in favor of decline of American economic and political power a solution imposed from outside. and the economic and political rise of China, Publication by Al Jazeera of papers concerning India and other emerging powers such as Brazil the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations of and Turkey; possible changes in the attachment 2006-2007 demonstrates the seriousness to Israel among young Jews in the Diaspora. of negotiations during the Olmert !e following section on Policy Directions and administration. Publication was conceived Strategic Agenda briefly describes these and other as an attempt to damage, by the Palestinian developments and where appropriate, suggests opposition, Mahmud Abbas and the policy directions. Palestinian Authority. !e papers also show that despite the progress that was made in the negotiations, disparities still remained between the two sides.