Last year the EFRAT-C.R.I.B. (the Committee for the Rescue of Israel?s Babies) organization saved the lives of 1,336 babies in Israel, by providing financial support to their mothers who were considering to have an abortion due to financial concerns.
There are a shocking 50,000 abortions in Israel every year, a majority of which are done out of economic concerns. In fact, there have been more Jewish children lost to abortion in Israel (two million since 1948) than were lost in the Holocaust. The greater tragedy is that, for a large portion of these cases, the mother?s first choice would be to have the child, but financial concerns cause them to believe that they have no choice but to terminate their pregnancies. Efrat was founded 25 years ago precisely to reach out to these women and offer them their first choice by providing financial and social support.
It has been said that the Arab population growth within Israel is as much of a threat to the survival of our little democracy in the Middle East as the Arab armies surrounding her. Currently, the Arab birthrate is about twice the Jewish birthrate of 2.3. Today, there is an Arab majority in the Galilee (which is within the so-called Green Line) and an Arab majority is projected for Jerusalem within a few years. If that wasn?t bad enough, General Uzi Dayan, speaking as the Director for the Council of National Security, announced this year that demographic projections forecast an Arab majority in the Land of Israel by the year 2020, less than 20 years from now.
There is a solution. Efrat has found that by offering women who have signed up for an abortion some modest financial and social support, they would gladly have their child instead of going through with an abortion. Efrat provides these women with a monthly check to the grocery store of their choice for a year, matches each woman up with an Efrat volunteer (there are 2,800 Efrat volunteers from Metula to Eilat) and provides free baby equipment, including a crib, stroller, bathtub, blankets, clothes and diapers. Efrat has found that it only takes about $1,000 in support per case to tip the scales for thousands of poor pregnant women to decide in favor of bringing their babies to term. Unfortunately, the current downturn in the economy and rising unemployment has led to a decline in contributions to Efrat with a simultaneous increase in the number of inquiries it gets for help. The sad result is that Efrat does not have enough resources to meet the demands for its life-saving help and services.
It appears to me that Israel should adopt Efrat?s approach as a central piece in its overall strategy in its demographic war of survival. With Aliyah from the former Soviet Union slowing down and little Aliyah from the West, Efrat?s work must be expanded. It?s a wonder that Efrat does not receive any government funding whatsoever. At a cost of only $1,000 ?per Oleh?, financial support for expecting pregnant women is a bargain in comparison to the costs involved in other Aliyah projects.
Every year, the number of Jewish children born as a result of the work of the Efrat organization exceeds the number of Jews making Aliyah from North America. It is remarkable to think that over 500 future Israeli soldiers and over 500 future Jewish mothers are born each year due to the work of this one organization.
From a demographic point of view, Efrat?s work is Israel?s most effective and cost efficient way of preventing an Arab majority in the Jewish homeland. There is a potential to create a huge 100% Jewish ?inner Aliyah?. This wave of ?Aliyah? could start immediately and we wouldn?t even have to pay for airfare, as the potential ?Olim? are already in Israel - just waiting to be born.
There are a shocking 50,000 abortions in Israel every year, a majority of which are done out of economic concerns. In fact, there have been more Jewish children lost to abortion in Israel (two million since 1948) than were lost in the Holocaust. The greater tragedy is that, for a large portion of these cases, the mother?s first choice would be to have the child, but financial concerns cause them to believe that they have no choice but to terminate their pregnancies. Efrat was founded 25 years ago precisely to reach out to these women and offer them their first choice by providing financial and social support.
It has been said that the Arab population growth within Israel is as much of a threat to the survival of our little democracy in the Middle East as the Arab armies surrounding her. Currently, the Arab birthrate is about twice the Jewish birthrate of 2.3. Today, there is an Arab majority in the Galilee (which is within the so-called Green Line) and an Arab majority is projected for Jerusalem within a few years. If that wasn?t bad enough, General Uzi Dayan, speaking as the Director for the Council of National Security, announced this year that demographic projections forecast an Arab majority in the Land of Israel by the year 2020, less than 20 years from now.
There is a solution. Efrat has found that by offering women who have signed up for an abortion some modest financial and social support, they would gladly have their child instead of going through with an abortion. Efrat provides these women with a monthly check to the grocery store of their choice for a year, matches each woman up with an Efrat volunteer (there are 2,800 Efrat volunteers from Metula to Eilat) and provides free baby equipment, including a crib, stroller, bathtub, blankets, clothes and diapers. Efrat has found that it only takes about $1,000 in support per case to tip the scales for thousands of poor pregnant women to decide in favor of bringing their babies to term. Unfortunately, the current downturn in the economy and rising unemployment has led to a decline in contributions to Efrat with a simultaneous increase in the number of inquiries it gets for help. The sad result is that Efrat does not have enough resources to meet the demands for its life-saving help and services.
It appears to me that Israel should adopt Efrat?s approach as a central piece in its overall strategy in its demographic war of survival. With Aliyah from the former Soviet Union slowing down and little Aliyah from the West, Efrat?s work must be expanded. It?s a wonder that Efrat does not receive any government funding whatsoever. At a cost of only $1,000 ?per Oleh?, financial support for expecting pregnant women is a bargain in comparison to the costs involved in other Aliyah projects.
Every year, the number of Jewish children born as a result of the work of the Efrat organization exceeds the number of Jews making Aliyah from North America. It is remarkable to think that over 500 future Israeli soldiers and over 500 future Jewish mothers are born each year due to the work of this one organization.
From a demographic point of view, Efrat?s work is Israel?s most effective and cost efficient way of preventing an Arab majority in the Jewish homeland. There is a potential to create a huge 100% Jewish ?inner Aliyah?. This wave of ?Aliyah? could start immediately and we wouldn?t even have to pay for airfare, as the potential ?Olim? are already in Israel - just waiting to be born.