In a lengthy eye-witness report, Peter Hitchens argues that the most dangerous threat facing Israel is not hostile Muslim neighbours but internal political and demographic trends.  Arab citizens of Israel resent what they perceive as disadvantageous treatment relative to Jewish Israelis, and they are having more babies—thus creating a potential time-bomb for the Jewish state.

Arabs comprise 20% of Israel's citizenry and Muhammed is already the most popular name for baby boys born there.

One Arab Israeli said gloomily to me that while the first and second intifadas (Arab uprisings) had been in the West Bank and Gaza, "the third intifada will be on the streets of Nazareth and Jaffa, right inside Israel itself".

If he is right, then there is no end to the misery. Israel's Arabs are here, and not going away. If their discontent were to turn to anger, if their leaders were to urge them on the streets, there is no saying where things might end.

Bedouin Arabs, once a small minority in southern Israel, look set to become the majority in the region by 2020.  There are forecasts that Jerusalem could be majority Arab by 2040.

More ethnic division has arisen from the almost one million Russian-speaking Jews admitted during the final years of the Soviet Union.  At least, they seemed to be Jewish at the time, but it turns out about half of them are not.  Many claim no religion; some are Christian.

Recently, to the annoyance of Orthodox Jews, several hundred Russian recruits to the Israeli army insisted on swearing their oath of allegiance on the Christian New Testament alone.

As well, Hitchens sees the bloody Gaza civil war as proof that a Palestinian state would provide no benefit at all for Palestinians, neither would it remove the external threat against Israel.  The real long-term problem, however, is within.

Read the whole thing.

Previous related posts:

UPDATE (19 Jun.): Kateland in the comments links to the American-Israel Demographic Research Group, which argues that Jewish Israelis do not face a demographic disadvantage vis-a-vis Israeli Arabs.