Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: smascherare la mitologia demografica

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3828334,00.html
Yigal Walt
When Yoram Ettinger speaks his voice booms with convictions and his eyes 
are alight – however, one is bound to be persuaded, not to mention 
stunned, mostly by the figures and conclusions he presents.
The former diplomat is part of an American-Israeli research team devoted 
to debunking prevalent demographic views regarding Israel’s future; the 
group’s ground-breaking research paints a much rosier picture, 
predicting a solid Jewish majority in the region for years to come.
The figures painstakingly collected and analyzed by Ettinger and his 
colleagues are startling, particularly for Israelis who for years have 
been warned of the demographic sword hanging over the Jewish State’s 
future. The data point to grossly exaggerated Palestinian growth 
predictions, statistical flaws resulting in inaccurate figures, steadily 
growing Jewish birthrates, and a dramatically declining Arab-Israeli 
birthrate.
Ettinger has been tirelessly presenting the research to leading Israeli 
policymakers and other influential figures nationwide. In an interview 
with Ynetnews he recounts some of the astonished responses he has 
encountered during his quest; this includes a taken aback Defense 
Minister Ehud Barak, who was presented with the data during the previous 
government’s term in office.
“Barak told me: ‘Until I saw this presentation I didn’t know the 
facts…it would be good to present it soon to (then-Prime Minister) Ehud 
Olmert and to (then-Foreign Minister) Tzipi Livni, who still don’t know 
the facts,’” Ettinger says.
‘As a Jew, I will sleep better at night’
The former diplomat says that getting the demographic story straight is 
crucial for decision makers, regardless of their political views.
Possessing a more realistic understanding of Israel’s demographic future 
enables political leaders to make decisions that are not based on an 
unfounded sense of doom, he says, adding that senior officials who hold 
vastly different political views than him nonetheless embraced the 
findings he has presented.
“Major General (Res.) Shlomo Gazit asked that I present my information 
to his colleagues, senior military figures and academicians, despite the 
very large differences in our worldview,” Ettinger says.
Similarly favorable reactions were voiced by former National Security 
Advisor Giora Eiland, he says. “He clearly said: ‘You have drastically 
changed my demographic perception,” Ettinger recounts.
One of the most memorable responses Ettinger recalls came from former 
Finance Minister and Labor Party stalwart Avraham Shochat.
“After seeing the figures he told me: ‘While you are never going to 
transform me into a hawk, I’m very grateful to you because due to your 
findings, as a Jew, I will sleep much better at night from now on,” 
Ettinger says
‘No room for fatalism’
The figures presented by Ettinger seem to be unmistakable, and their 
immense significance begs the question of why decision-makers themselves 
have not embarked on such research before in order to challenge common 
perceptions.
“This reality shouldn’t surprise anyone,” Ettinger says. “The 
demographic issue is a symptom of the way decision-makers act on many 
issues.”
Similarly to the conception that led to the Yom Kippur War, Israeli 
politicians tend to rely on commonly accepted conceptions instead of 
attempting to question reality, he says.
“To my regret, usually only a crisis wakes up the sleeping people,” 
Ettinger says, adding that the failure to challenge the demographic myth 
also reflects Israel’s current leadership crisis.
“We are facing a leadership drought…and it’s easier for decision-makers 
to continue navigating on automatic pilot, rather than to look for new 
approaches,” he says.
Ettinger says the conclusions of the research are highly significant, 
clear and unequivocal.
“Because Jews are not doomed to become a minority between the Jordan 
River and the Mediterranean, there is no room for fatalism in our 
process of policy-making,” he says. “When policy-makers, military 
leaders, investors, or potential immigrants evaluate the future of the 
Jewish State optimistically, rather than fatalistically, this is the 
difference between growth and eventual oblivion.”
“The bottom line of the study is that anybody who attempts to deploy 
demographic fatalism in order to scare Jews into excessive concessions 
is either dramatically mistaken or outrageously misleading, “Ettinger 
concludes. “It is absolutely legitimate to call for a retreat on moral, 
democratic or security grounds, yet it is absolutely immoral to call for 
such a retreat on demographic grounds.”

 wrote:
chissà se nahum si rende conto di avere una scelta di titoli
sinistramente simile a quella dei negazionisti.