Jerusalem's Changing Demographics
The Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies have released their census projections for the near future for Jerusalem. The Holy City has seen a Jewish population increase of 140% since it was reunified in the Six Day War. On the “Arab” side, however, the population has increased 257% over the same period, outpacing their Jewish counterparts by 83%.
And according to the statisticians, it’s not that Palestinians are moving in, it’s that Israelis are moving out. If current population trends continue, Jerusalem is in for a huge demographic shift.
On This is Babylon I attempt to give some insight as to what is driving this demographic shift in the Holy City.
Because if these statisticians are correct, we may be the among the last generations to remember a majority-Jewish Jerusalem.
On the other hand, statisticians have been known to exaggerate.
gosh, i wonder why the Israelis are leaving?
Al tikra Bushwick ela Jerusalem v’al tikra Latino community ela Israeli Jews.
THIS IS A DISGUSTING RACIST POST.
What? Why?
here’s another take on the reasons for the shift, from an interesting source: http://www.jewishpress.com/page.do/21501/Demographic_Findings_Challenged.html
from Meron Benvinisti today on “keeping Jerusalem Jewish”
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/857769.html
“People used to believe that the Jewish majority in Jerusalem could be maintained by the massive construction of neighborhoods around the city’s edges; now what is being advocated is the removal of Arab neighborhoods on the fringes of the city, which would reduce the number of Arab residents in an artificial, bureaucratic way.
“Israeli politicians, sworn democrats that they are, appear alarmed by the loss of a Jewish majority. After all, this process will lead to an Arab majority, if democratic elections ever take place. But there is no greater hypocrisy. Have they asked the Arabs if they want to be annexed by Israel? And are they asking them now if they want to be removed from the city, as has already been done to 60,000 Jerusalem residents who were placed beyond the separation line? Indeed, every time the Arabs of East Jerusalem have a leader like Faisal Husseini – who tried to establish an independent community center, Orient House – Israel made sure to neutralize him and destroy the institution that had been established.
“The loss of the Jewish majority is a scarecrow that serves as an excuse to constrict the Palestinian population, as well as being a convenient slogan for internal Israeli goading. As long as this slogan is used, it means that the struggle over Jerusalem has not ended – and the Palestinians can be proud that 40 years after Israel put its all into annexing Jerusalem, it is still worried about losing the city.”
The demographic threat is a myth. Jewish birth rates within the green line outnumber Arab birth rates by a huge margin.