Demographics in the Land of Israel

Contents:

 

1.    Introduction

2.    Research Articles

3.    Opinion Articles

4.    Press

5.    Demographic Trends in the Land of Israel (1800-2007), Faitelson

6.    The demography of Jerusalem

 

For the Hebrew Bibliography

 

 

Introduction:

 

The demographic trends in the Land of Israel give rise to many implications regarding the future of the Zionist Enterprise.  A vital condition for maintaining the State of Israel's existence as the National Home for the Jewish People, while preserving the principles of democracy, is the existence of a solid Jewish majority in the State of Israel. Therefore, it is important to examine the demographic issue with regard to a number of central groups: Israeli Arabs within the borders of Israel, the Palestinian population in Judea and Samaria, Jewish sub-groups, and other non-Jewish groups who have taken significant roles in Israeli society, especially in the past two decades.

 

The demographic issue has great importance when dealing with the Israeli Arab demand for the implementation of their aspiration for full national rights in the State of Israel, and not in a Palestinian State, if and when it arises. This is a clear cut challenge of the State of Israel as a Jewish State.  Moreover, this issue will also have implications on the borders of the State of Israel (e.g. the suggestion to transfer Israeli-Arab communities to the jurisdiction of the Palestinian authority).

 

Additionally, The Palestinian issue had (as proven in the Disengagement Plan in 2005) and continues to have serious implications regarding the establishment of the future borders of the State of Israel, whether as the result of a future resolution between the State of Israel and the Palestinians or by one-sided initiatives.

 

This aside, difficulties also arise from the various groups that constitute Israeli society, which do not necessarily view the development of the Zionist Enterprise as a goal, and at times even support separatist movements in order to preserve their unique ideologies, despite whether these groups are Jewish (sub-groups of the Haredi population, immigrants from certain countries) or if they are non-Jewish (non-Jewish immigrants, foreign workers, refugees, etc.).

 

To best face these challenges, we must understand the facts and learn the extent of the trends and phenomena, and all this before we suggest methods of coping with the issues.  The Institute for Zionist Strategies, which sees great importance in dealing with the aforementioned challenges, wishes to offer its contribution for discussion, and for this purpose published the study by Yakov Faitelson, "Demographic Trends in the Land of Israel (1899-2007)".