Very an interesting thread! I've struggled with the question for years... Here is my understanding:
In this day, there are two processes going hand in hand:
1) The disintegration of the Old World Order
2) The integration of the New World Order
Let's concentrate on number 2). God is changing society toward the Lesser Peace. This has nothing to do with Baha'is. We can see it today with the financial crisis. When the world is faced with such a crisis, the world has to react and take decisions which are closer and closer with the Baha'i ideal, with one worldwide currency and so on. Baha'is also have a role to play to bring the Most Great Peace, but let's face it: God's share of the work is much much bigger than ours.
Once we understand this, that it isn't just Baha'is out there, but that there is also God's Major Plan at work, then one asks, what is God's Major Plan? Part of that plan is that Jews should return to Israel. This is to fulfil a prophecy. In fact, some very religious Jews are against all the recent Jewish immigration to Israel, since they think that this should only happen AFTER the Messiah has come. So, God's Major Plan takes precedence over anything else Baha'is are trying to do, and we're not here to "mess it all up".
But there is more to this discussion. For example, when Shogghi Effendi asked the Baha'is living in Israel (I'm talking about the children of Baha'is who had come with Baha'u'llah to the Holy Land, not about native Israelis, since there has ALWAYS been a policy of not teaching in Israel) to leave Israel during the 10 year crusade, he was clearing the way for the UHJ. In the days of Abdul' Baha, I could imagine how the local Baha'is would have visited him on a regular basis. I wish I knew where I could check this out to sound more convincing, but I can imagine that during the time of Shogghi Effendi, it was similar. The local Baha'is had their sense of entitlement, of being allowed to visit the Master (and then, the Guardian). Also, the local Baha'is had their share of covenant breakers.
Think of the first UHJ. It had to grow as an Institution, and It had to shape the BWC. Imagine a local Baha'i demanding/expecting to work at the World Center. It might even seem right. Why spend money to bring Baha'is from all over the world to Haifa when you have locals? But this just isn't the BWC. The BWC is not a bunch of Israelis. The BWC is a glimpse of the kind of world we're talking about when we say that we are all waves of one ocean, and leaves of one tree. In this way, the fact that there were no local Baha'is in Israel enabled the UHJ to build the BWC without being distracted by the formation of the Israeli Baha'i community. To me it is obvious that the BWC will remain like this, an international body with volunteers/workers from all over the world. But would it have been clear to me 40 years ago, when it all started?
I think the task of the Baha'is at the BWC is actually very beautiful. They're asked NOT to spend time to teach Israelis, because this way, they can concentrate all their efforts on serving the Baha'i worldwide community.
There is also the political situation. Baha'is are asked not to take part in party politics. But there are new Baha'is all over the world, and none of us are perfect. What if a local Israeli Baha'i made the wrong statement, at the wrong time? The consequences of this type of mistake could be much more profound when made in Israel, as opposed to other countries. There is a lot at stake in Israel for Baha'is. There are the Shrines, that we obviously can't move to another country. There is the BWC. There are the pilgrims, which are such an important part of our Faith.
If you've read this far, I hope you got my point: I think there is a lot of wisdom in the current situation. I'd like to add, I don't think we need to worry about Israelis. Their time will come. Then they will be the envy of the world.
