By
Joe Millis
It's very clear as we enter this holiday of liberation that the only way Israel can survive as a Jewish and democratic state is to maintain a Jewish majority. By holding on to the occupied West Bank and the Arab neighbourhoods of Jerusalem Israel has already lost that majority. The conclusion is clear - the settlement enterprise is chametz for Israel.
Further to this, if Israel does not actively seek peace, it will begin to lose even more of its better-educated and consequently more creative citizens. Already, there is a brain drain with people seeking life elsewhere. There is now net migration away from Israel, with many of the migrants blaming the "matzav" (situation).
And aliyah to Israel? Since the days of the mass emigration from the former USSR, that number has dwindled. From the UK, even at its peak, barely two El Al jumbo-full of emigrants left in one year. Hardly a lot. Israel just isn't attractive to most Jews. And that is a real problem.