Proponents of the disengagement as well as government statisticians might have expected that the number of Jews living across the country’s post 1967 borders would have declined after the disengagement, at least in the short term.
But in fact, the exact opposite has occurred. On the eve of the disengagement, 250,179 Jews were officially registered as living in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, according to Interior Ministry statistics. Among that number were 9,224 Jews from Gaza and northern Samaria who were later forcibly expelled from their homes.
Six months later, the Interior Ministry reports that the number of Jews living in Judea and Samaria (minus Gaza) has increased to 253,074. That jump means that in just four months, over 12,000 Jews moved into Judea and Samaria, an increase of 4.8%.
Even taking into account the thousands of Jews who were expelled, the total number of Jews in the Yesha areas has grown by approximately 1.5%.
The Ministry’s statistics show Jewish demographic growth across the board, from small communities such as Talmon in Binyamin (which jumped by 12%), to large cities like Maaleh Adumim, Beitar Illit, and Ariel.
The Interior Ministry’s statistics, however, substantially undercount the number of Jews living in Judea and Samaria. Many population experts contend they undercount the Jewish population by 10% or more. Israelis are required by law to register their addresses with the Interior Ministry. The Ministry, however, cannot legally register Jews living in dozens of built-up communities which the Ministry does not officially recognize.
Moreover, the Ministry counts only citizens who change their address to locations in Judea and Samaria. Many veteran Israelis and new immigrants are often reluctant to change their official domicile to Judea and Samaria for various personal reasons. Some are afraid of encountering social or political bias as a result of listing an address across the post-1967 borders, especially one in a small community distant from the former lines.
Others, new immigrants in particular, are often in danger of losing retirement or other benefits, because some foreign governments refuse to remit them to nationals living in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
With undercounting taken into consideration, conservative estimates are that the number of Jews living in Judea and Samaria totals 278,000.
The Interior Ministry’s statistics also fail to point out that Jews now make up a very significant proportion of the population of Judea and Samaria.
The number of Arabs living in these areas is the subject of bitter political debate. The Palestinian Authority, which is interested in inflating this figure as much possible, claimed in 1994 that there were 1.35 million Arabs living in Judea and Samaria (including Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem).
Many Israeli demographers contest this figure as being highly exaggerated, especially in light of high Arab emigration rates since the start of the Oslo War in 2000. In fact, the entire Arab population of Judea and Samaria may be 1 million or less.
But no matter which statistic is taken into account, a Jewish demographic revolution is taking place in Judea and Samaria, one largely unreported by the media. The Jewish proportion in Judea and Samaria might even exceed the proportion of Arabs living inside Israel’s pre-1967 borders.
Even based on the PA’s unreliable statistics, Jews now make up close to 20% of the population of Judea and Samaria, a significant minority by any account, one with legitimate rights and interests grounded in the norms of international law.
One thing is clear: Jewish growth in Judea and Samaria far outpaces that of the Arabs. If current trends continue, as they have for the past 30 years, Jews and Arabs will reach population parity in Judea and Samaria in a few years. A Jewish majority in Judea and Samaria is only a matter of time.
But in fact, the exact opposite has occurred. On the eve of the disengagement, 250,179 Jews were officially registered as living in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, according to Interior Ministry statistics. Among that number were 9,224 Jews from Gaza and northern Samaria who were later forcibly expelled from their homes.
Six months later, the Interior Ministry reports that the number of Jews living in Judea and Samaria (minus Gaza) has increased to 253,074. That jump means that in just four months, over 12,000 Jews moved into Judea and Samaria, an increase of 4.8%.
Even taking into account the thousands of Jews who were expelled, the total number of Jews in the Yesha areas has grown by approximately 1.5%.
The Ministry’s statistics show Jewish demographic growth across the board, from small communities such as Talmon in Binyamin (which jumped by 12%), to large cities like Maaleh Adumim, Beitar Illit, and Ariel.
The Interior Ministry’s statistics, however, substantially undercount the number of Jews living in Judea and Samaria. Many population experts contend they undercount the Jewish population by 10% or more. Israelis are required by law to register their addresses with the Interior Ministry. The Ministry, however, cannot legally register Jews living in dozens of built-up communities which the Ministry does not officially recognize.
Moreover, the Ministry counts only citizens who change their address to locations in Judea and Samaria. Many veteran Israelis and new immigrants are often reluctant to change their official domicile to Judea and Samaria for various personal reasons. Some are afraid of encountering social or political bias as a result of listing an address across the post-1967 borders, especially one in a small community distant from the former lines.
Others, new immigrants in particular, are often in danger of losing retirement or other benefits, because some foreign governments refuse to remit them to nationals living in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
With undercounting taken into consideration, conservative estimates are that the number of Jews living in Judea and Samaria totals 278,000.
The Interior Ministry’s statistics also fail to point out that Jews now make up a very significant proportion of the population of Judea and Samaria.
The number of Arabs living in these areas is the subject of bitter political debate. The Palestinian Authority, which is interested in inflating this figure as much possible, claimed in 1994 that there were 1.35 million Arabs living in Judea and Samaria (including Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem).
Many Israeli demographers contest this figure as being highly exaggerated, especially in light of high Arab emigration rates since the start of the Oslo War in 2000. In fact, the entire Arab population of Judea and Samaria may be 1 million or less.
But no matter which statistic is taken into account, a Jewish demographic revolution is taking place in Judea and Samaria, one largely unreported by the media. The Jewish proportion in Judea and Samaria might even exceed the proportion of Arabs living inside Israel’s pre-1967 borders.
Even based on the PA’s unreliable statistics, Jews now make up close to 20% of the population of Judea and Samaria, a significant minority by any account, one with legitimate rights and interests grounded in the norms of international law.
One thing is clear: Jewish growth in Judea and Samaria far outpaces that of the Arabs. If current trends continue, as they have for the past 30 years, Jews and Arabs will reach population parity in Judea and Samaria in a few years. A Jewish majority in Judea and Samaria is only a matter of time.