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February 13, 2012
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David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
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Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
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Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
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Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
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January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
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January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
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Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
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January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Jan. 13, 2004
/ 19 Teves, 5764
How wide should our open doors be?
By
Gary Rosenblatt
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http://www.jewishworldreview.com |
Is it blasphemy, or simple logic and self-preservation, to
suggest that U.S. immigration laws should be tightened?
Even to mention the topic makes some Jewish leaders
nervous.
America, of course, is a nation of immigrants, the land of
second chances. As a result, its beckoning shores have
long held a special place of gratitude for American Jews.
Our bubbes and zaydes came here to escape persecution
from Europe and Russia and other lands, and it was here
that they prospered in the melting pot of ethnic diversity, tolerance and
democratic values. More recently, hundreds of thousands of Jews from the
former Soviet Union were able to settle here and begin new lives without
fear of religious discrimination.
So it is only natural that the American Jewish community has been
outspoken in its support of immigration even as the numbers of Jews
coming to this country has diminished.
But there are a few voices of late insisting that the tide has turned, that a
complacent Jewish community, wedded to nostalgia and political correctness,
is about to be overwhelmed by an influx of immigrants, many of them Muslim,
with negative feelings about Jews and Israel. If Jews are to continue to
thrive politically, socially and economically in this country, they must
reconsider their position on immigration, these critics argue, and help lead a
move to block, if not shut, the open door.
By the next census, Muslims may well outnumber Jews in the U.S., and
according to Stephen Steinlight, former director of national affairs for the
American Jewish Committee, an inevitable political shift will take place within
the halls of Congress, putting increasing pressure on Israel in the Mideast
conflict. "Our defense organizations have not responded," said Steinlight,
now a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, "and when disaster
comes, they will be asking themselves, 'where were we?' "
He points to Mideast policy and social changes in European countries like
France and England, where Israel is viewed with increasing disfavor and
anti-Semitism is on the rise, and he attributes the shift in part to the rapid
growth of the Muslim and Arab populations. Jews are now outnumbered by
about 10-to-1 by Arabs in those countries.
Ira Mehlman, media director of FAIR (Federation for American Immigrant
Reform), agrees that "American Jews need to look out for their own
self-interest," but noted that immigration is an American problem, not just a
Jewish one. "This is not about right-left politics," he said, "it's about
excessive numbers of immigrants coming here and placing a burden on our
communities, our schools and our economy." He and others argue that aside
from Jewish concerns, with up to 1.5 million immigrants, legal and illegal,
arriving each year, America cannot properly absorb them; the current policy
will lead to social and economic upheaval, in addition to jeopardizing
national security, these observers say.
Mehlman cites a recent article in the New York Review of Books by
Christopher Jencks, a professor of social policy at Harvard, who argues that
the influx of cheap labor from Mexico and South America is creating a huge
underclass that will lead to great turmoil in the U.S.
Steinlight and Mehlman have joined forces and gone on the road, speaking
at synagogues and to Jewish groups around the country, preaching the
dangers of unchecked immigration. They are finding much support, they say,
from amcha, or heartland Jews. Even some leaders of national Jewish
organizations admit privately there is a problem, according to Steinlight and
Mehlman, though they have yet to address it openly.
Rabbi David Lincoln of the Park Avenue Synagogue is well aware of the
benefits of U.S. immigration laws, having come to America 35 years ago from
Great Britain. But he thinks it is time for Jews to re-visit their position on
immigration. "Unlimited immigration is a danger to the Jewish community," he
said. "But I'm more worried about the U.S. There is a worldwide struggle
today against Islamic fascism and we have to be very careful about who we
let in." He worries about "loyalty to the state," noting that Jews are taught
to be loyal to the countries where they live while some Muslims seek
government funding for their religious schools which "teach Islam comes
first."
Rabbi Lincoln is not against immigration, he says, but "we need some
checks." He has invited Steinlight and Mehlman to speak at his synagogue in
the fall.
Rabbi Harlan Wechsler of Or Zarua, another Conservative congregation in
Manhattan, sounds more hesitant than his colleague but he, too, is
concerned about the potential dangers of open immigration. "As a rabbi I
worry about things that lead to more anti-Semitism," he said, noting that
there is much hate in the Muslim world directed at Jews. But he also
observes that America has long succeeded in making democrats out of
newcomers. "I don't want to feel that the openness of our society should be
limited unless it has to be. I want to be optimistic without being foolish."
He has not spoken from the pulpit on the issue because of its delicate
nature. "We have to go very slowly," he said.
Others, though, insist that opposing open immigration is never justified.
"The melting pot still works," said Leon Wieseltier, literary editor of The New
Republic. "Even in an age of ethnicity, Arab Americans will become
Americans, and the idea that they are here to infiltrate us strikes me as
paranoid and ugly. If there are particular problems, fix them. But for Jews to
suggest limiting immigration or imposing quotas is historical hypocrisy of the
worst kind."
Steinlight counters that while it is true the melting pot will eventually
acculturate immigrants, "militant Islam is strong and on the march." He said
it may take 30 to 50 years to create a more pluralistic form of Islam here,
and the danger remains in the short-term.
Clearly, there are no easy answers to this issue, and just to raise it causes
emotional ripples in the community. But it is too important to ignore, and
should not be left to Pat Buchanan, whose racist views lead him to oppose
immigration, as the only spokesman on the subject. An open discussion
within our community on U.S. immigration policy may lead to new thinking
and creative ways to deal with the moral imperative of keeping this country
open to newcomers "yearning to breathe free" while protecting its
inhabitants — legal and illegal — from those who would undermine all
America stands for.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Gary Rosenblatt is Editor and Publisher of the New York Jewish Week.
Comment by clicking here.
© 2004, Gary Rosenblatt
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