Loading ...
Global Do...
News & Politics
8
0
Try Now
Log In
Pricing
Demographics of Israel Further information: Israelis This article is about the demographic fea- tures of the population of Israel, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, reli- gious affiliations and other aspects of the population. Citizenship • noun: Israeli(s) • adjective: Israeli Population (December 2008) • Total: 7,411,000 [1] • note: includes over 200,000 Israelis and 250,000 Arabs in East Jerusalem, about 270,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and about 20,000 in the Golan Heights (July 2007 est.). Does not include foreigners living in the country (estimated around 150-200,000). Age Structure (2007) • 0–14 years: 26.1% (male 858,246 / female 818,690) • 15–64 years: 64.2% (male 2,076,649 / female 2,046,343) • 65 years and over: 9.7% (male 269,483 / female 357,268) Population growth rate • 1.8% (2007)[2] • During the 1990s, the Jewish population growth rate was about 3% per year, as a result of massive immigration to Israel, primarily from the republics of the former Soviet Union. There is also a high population growth rate among certain Jewish groups, especially adherents of Haredi Judaism. The growth rate of the Arab population in Is- rael is 2.5%, while the growth rate of the Jewish population in Israel is 1.7%. The growth rate of the both Jewish and Arab population is slowing down from 3.8% in 1999 to 2.5% in 2006 for Arab and 2.4% to 1.7% for Jew. The fastest growing segment of population remain to be Arab Muslim with the latest growth rate of 2.8% for 2007. [3] Crude birth rate 20.8 births/1,000 population (2005) In 2006, there were a total of 148,170 births. (143,913 in 2005 & 136,390 in 2000). Of this number, 104,513 were to Jewish mothers. (100,657 in 2005 and 91,936 in 2000). 34,337 were to Muslim mothers (34,217 in 2005, 35,740 in 2000). 2,601 to Druze (2,533 in 2005 & 2,708 in 2000). 2,500 to Christians (2,487 in 2005 & 2,789 in 2000). According to research culled by Haaretz, between the mid-1980s and 2000, the birthrate in the Muslim sector was stable at 4.6-4.7 children per woman; After 2001 a gradual decline became evident, reaching 4.0 children per woman in 2005. By point of com- parison, in 2005 there was a stable birthrate of 2.6-2.7 children among the Jewish popula- tion.[4] Crude death rate 6.18 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) There were a total of 38,666 deaths in 2006. (39,026 in 2005 & 37,688 in 2000). Of this 33,568 were Jews (34,031 in 2005 & 33,421 in 2000). 3,078 were Muslims (2,968 in 2005 & 2,683 in 2000). 360 were Druze (363 in 2005 & 305 in 2000). 712 were Chris- tian (686 in 2005 & 666 in 2000). Net migration rate Part of a series of articles on Jews and Judaism Who is a Jew? · Etymology · Culture From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Demographics of Israel 1 Religion God in Judaism (Names) Principles of faith · Mitzvot (613) Halakha · Shabbat · Holidays Prayer · Tzedakah Brit · Bar / Bat Mitzvah Marriage · Bereavement Philosophy · Ethics · Kabbalah Customs · Synagogue · Rabbi Texts Tanakh (Torah · Nevi’im · Ketuvim) Targum Talmud (Mishnah · Gemara) Rabbinic (Midrash · Tosefta) Mishneh Torah · Tur Shulchan Aruch Zohar · Tanya Ethnicities Ashkenazi · Sephardi · Mizrahi Romaniote · Italki · Yemenite African · Beta Israel · Bukharan · Georgian • Mountain · Chinese Indian · Khazars · Karaim • Samaritans • Crypto-Jews Population Jews by country · Rabbis Population comparisons Israel · United States · Russia Iraq · Spain · Portugal · Italy Poland · Germany · Bosnia Latin America · France England · Netherlands · Canada Australia · Hungary · India Turkey · Greece · Africa Iran · China · Pakistan · Romania · Lists of Jews Denominations Orthodox · Conservative Reform · Reconstructionist Liberal · Karaite · Humanistic Renewal · Alternative Languages Hebrew · Yiddish Judeo-Persian · Ladino Judeo-Aramaic · Judeo-Arabic History Timeline · Leaders Ancient · Temple Babylonian exile Jerusalem (in Judaism · Timeline) Hasmoneans · Sanhedrin Schisms · Pharisees Jewish-Roman wars Christianity and Judaism Islam and Judaism Diaspora · Middle Ages Sabbateans · Hasidism · Haskalah Emancipation · Holocaust · Aliyah Israel (history) Arab conflict · Land of Israel Baal teshuva · Persecution Antisemitism (history) Politics Zionism (Labor · Revisionist Religious · General) The Bund · World Agudath Israel Jewish feminism · Israeli politics Jewish left · Jewish right 3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) There were a total of 19,269 immigrants in 2006: 7,472 from the Former Soviet Union, 3,595 from Ethiopia, 2,411 from France, 2,159 from the United States, 594 from the United Kingdom, 304 from India, 293 from Argentina, 232 from Brazil, 228 from Canada, 142 from Colombia, 134 from Venezuela, 114 from South Africa, 112 from Germany, 91 from Belgium, 91 from Central America, 85 from Switzerland, 73 from Uruguay, 72 from Mexico, 66 from Oceania, 63 from Hungary, 61 from Chile, 50 from Romania and 50 from the Netherlands. Emigration For many years definitive data on Israeli emigration was unavailable.[5] In The Israeli Diaspora sociologist Stephen J. Gold main- tains that calculation of Jewish emigration has been a contentious issue, explaining, "Since Zionism, the philosophy that underlies the existence of the Jewish state, calls for re- turn home of the world’s Jews, the opposite movement - Israelis leaving the Jewish state to reside elsewhere - clearly presents an ideological and demographic problem."[6] In the past several decades, emigration (yerida) has seen a considerable increase. From 1990 to 2005, 230,000 Israelis left the country; a large proportion of these depar- tures included people who initially immig- rated to Israel and then reversed their course (48% of all post-1990 departures and even 60% of 2003 and 2004 departures were former immigrants to Israel). 8% of Jewish immigrants in the post-1990 period left Is- rael, while 15% of non-Jewish immigrants did. In 2005 alone, 21,500 Israelis left the country and had not yet returned at the end of 2006; among them 73% were Jews, 5% Arabs, and 22% "Others" (mostly non-Jewish immigrants, with Jewish ancestry, from USSR). At the same time, 10,500 Israelis came back to Israel after over one year From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Demographics of Israel 2 abroad; 84% were Jews, 9% Others, and 7% Arabs. [7] According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, as of 2005, 650,000 Israelis had left the country for over one year and not re- turned. Of them, 530,000 are still alive today. This number does not include the children born overseas. It should also be noted that Is- raeli law grants citizenship only to the first generation of children born to Israeli emigrants. Sex ratio • At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female • Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female • 15–64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female • 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female • Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate • Total: 6.89 deaths/1,000 live births • Male: 7.61 deaths/1,000 live births • Female: 6.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth (2006) • Total population: 79.46 years • Male: 77.33 years • Female: 81.7 years Total fertility rate (2008) In Israel, the total fertility rate (TFR) is 2.9 children born per woman. TFR was 2.8 for Jews (2.69 in 2005, 2.67 in 2000), 3.9 for Muslims (4.03 in 2005, 4.57 in 2000), 2.49 for Druze (2.59 in 2005, 2.87 in 2000), 2.14 for Christians (2.15 in 2005, 2.35 in 2000) and 1.55 for Others (1.49 in 2005, 1.55 in 2000). TFR is very high among Haredi Jews. For Ashkenazi Haredim, the TFR rose to 8.51 in 1996 from 6.91 in 1980. The figure for 2008 is estimated to be even higher. TFR for Seph- ardi/Mizrachi Haredim rose from 4.57 in 1980 to 6.57 in 1996.[8] Ethnic groups According to the 2008 Israeli census, Israel’s population of 7,282,000 is broken down into the following ethnic groups: [9] These data include legal citizens of the State of Israel, not including any Muslim, Christian, or other citizen living under areas administrated by the Palestinian Authority. [10] Jews See also: Ashkenazim, Mizrahim, and Arab Jews Among Jews, 68% were Sabras (Israeli-born), mostly second or third generation Israelis, and the rest are olim — 22% from Europe and the Americas, and 10% from Asia and Africa, including the Arab countries.[11] • Ashkenazim (about 38% of the national population): Jews whose ancestors came from Germany, France, and Eastern Europe. Most Ashkenazi Jews that settled in Israel were from Russia, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic,North America, South America, South Africa and Australia. • Mizrahim and Sephardim (about 38% of the national population): Most Jewish immigrants to Israel from Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria are considered Mizrahim, and the term has come to refer to Jews whose ancestors lived in Arab or Muslim lands, but did not live in Spain or Portugal. The word Sephardi refers to Jews whose ancestors lived in Spain and Portugal until 1492, and sometimes until later, then spread to Greece, Italy, England, the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe, as well as into the Ottoman Empire and in North Africa. Many Sephardi Jews that settled in Israel from Morocco, Algeria, Turkey and the whole Mediterranean area are descendants from migrants from Spain and Portugal. In modern Israeli Hebrew usage, this category is often included in Mizrahim.Those with origins in Muslim and Arab lands are commonly called Sephardim by their Ashkenazi counterparts, though the majority does not descend from Iberian Jews and are best described as Mizrahi. The Jews of Iran and Iraqi Jews are always considered From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Demographics of Israel 3 Mizrahi as well as the Yemenite and Omani Jews. • Italian Jews (about 1% of the national population): Jews whose ancestors lived mainly in central Italy. Due to its history and geographical position, Rome hosted the most ancient continuous Jewish community in Western Europe, dating back to the Roman Empire. • Indian Jews (about 1% of the national population): Jews from five distinct communities in India and also Burma, each with very different origins. • Beta Israel/Falash Mura of Ethiopia (about 2% of the national population): Jews who were initially brought to Israel during Operation Solomon and Operation Moses. Today at least 127,000 live in the country. Note: the Greek are considered Romaniotes, and many of the Bulgarian and a portion of Latin American Jews are considered Sephard- ic. These groups claim distinct cultures and histories. In Israel there are approximately 300,000 citizens with Jewish ancestry who are not Jewish according to the Jewish law (mostly immigrants from the former USSR). Of this number approximately 10% are Christian and 89% are either Jewish or non-religious. Only a small number of them (c.2,000) convert every year to Judaism, while immigration from FSU adds thousands to their number every year. The total number of conversions under the Nativ program of IDF was 640 in 2005 and 450 in 2006. From 2002 to 2007 October 1, a total of 2,213 soldiers have con- verted under Nativ. [12] In 2003, 437 Christi- ans converted to Judaism, in 2004 – 884, and in 2005 – 733. [13] It should be noted that re- cently several thousand conversions conduc- ted by the Chief Rabbinate under the leader- ship of Rabbi Chaim Drukman have been an- nulled, and the official Jewish status over sev- eral thousand people who converted through the conversion court of the Chief Rabbinate since 1999 hangs in limbo as the proceedings continue regarding these individuals Jewish status. The vast majority of these individuals are former FSU immigrants. <http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/ 0,7340,L-3538630,00.html> Arabs See also: Circassians, Negev Bedouins, and Druze Map of Arab population in 2000. Arab citizens of Israel are those Arabs who remained within Israel’s borders during the 1948 Palestinian exodus following the estab- lishment of the state of Israel, including those born within the state borders sub- sequent to this time, as well as those who had left during the exodus (or their descend- ants) who have since re-entered by means ac- cepted as lawful residence by the Israeli state (primarily family reunifications). About 82.6% of the Arab population in Is- rael is Sunni Muslim (with a very small From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Demographics of Israel 4 minority of Shia), another 9% is Druze, and around 9% is Christian (mostly Eastern Orthodox and Catholic denominations). Bedouin According to the Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel, currently, 110,000 Bedouins live in the Negev, 50,000 in the Galilee and 10,000 in the central region of Israel.[14] Druze All of the Druze living in what was then Brit- ish Mandate Palestine became Israeli citizens after the declaration of the State of Israel. Though some individuals identify themselves as "Palestinian Druze",[15] most Druze do not consider themselves to be Palestinian, and consider their Israeli identity stronger than their Arab identity; indeed, Druze serve prominently in the Israel Defense Forces, and are represented in mainstream Israeli politics and business as well ...their Arab identity emanates in the main from the common language and their socio-cultural background, but is detached from any national political conception. It is not direc- ted at Arab countries or Arab nation- ality or the Palestinian people, and does not express sharing any fate with them. From this point of view, their identity is Israel, and this iden- tity is stronger than their Arab iden- tity.[16] Israeli Druze numbered an estimated 117,500 at the end of 2006.[17] Armenians More than 5,000 Armenians reside in Israel mostly in Jerusalem (including in the Armeni- an Quarter), but also in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jaffa and the West Bank. Armenians have a Patri- archate in Jerusalem and churches in Jerus- alem, Bethlehem, Haifa and Jaffa. Circassians In Israel, there are also a few thousand Cir- cassians, living mostly in Kfar Kama (2,000) and Reyhaniye (1,000).[18] These two villages were a part of a greater group of Circassian villages around the Golan Heights. The Cir- cassians in Israel enjoy, like Druzes, a status aparte. Male Circassians (at their leader’s request) are mandated for military service, while females are not. Samaritans The Samaritans are an ethnoreligious group of the Levant. Ancestrally, they claim descent from a group of Israelite inhabitants who have connections to ancient Samaria from the beginning of the Babylonian Exile up to the beginning of the Common Era. 2007 pop- ulation estimates show that 712 Samaritans live half in Holon, Israel and half at Mount Gerizim in the West Bank. Others Small populations of other groups reside in Israel: • 2,500 Lebanese (35,000-100,000 descendents) • Christians from Romania and Bulgaria, or, Romani • Ethiopian Christians Religions Two Israeli soldiers chat with Arab citizens of Israel in the Galilee, 1978 Religious Makeup of Israel From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Demographics of Israel 5 Ethnic Makeup of Israel Ethnic group Population % of total Jewish &Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression 76.0% error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ",".Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","5,435,900 Arab (In- cludes East Jerusalem Arabs) &Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character 19.4% From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Demographics of Israel 6 ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ",".Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","1,375,600 Other &Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation 4.6% character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ",".Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","302,400 Religion Population % of total Jewish &Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character 76.0% From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Demographics of Israel 7 ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ",".Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","5,435,900 Muslim &Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation 15.9% character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ",".Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","1,142,000 Christian &Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised 1.8% From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Demographics of Israel 8 punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ",".Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","120,000 Druze &Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: 1.7% Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ",".Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","115,200 Unclassified by choice &Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression 4.6% From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Demographics of Israel 9 error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ","Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","Expression er- ror: Unrecognised punctuation char- acter ","Expression error: Unrecog- nised punctuation character ",".Ex- pression error: Un- recognised punctu- ation character ","302,400 Official figures do not exist as to the number of atheists or otherwise non-affiliated indi- viduals, who may comprise up to a quarter of the population referred to as Jewish. Accord- ing to a 2004 Israel Central Bureau of Statist- ics Study on Israelis aged over 8% of Israeli Jews define themselves as haredim (or Ultra- Orthodox); an additional 9% are "religious" (predominantly orthodox, also known in Is- rael as: Zionist-religious, national-religious and kippot srugot); 12% consider themselves "religious-traditionalists" (mostly adhering to Jewish Halakha); 27% are "non-religious tra- ditionalists" (only partly respecting the Jew- ish Halakha), and 43% are "secular". Among the seculars, 53% say they believe in God. Due to the higher natality rate of religious and traditionalists over seculars, the share of religious and traditionalists among the over- all population is even higher. Languages Due to its immigrant nature, Israel is one of the most multicultural and multilingual soci- eties in the world. Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages in the country, while Eng- lish, Russian, Georgian,Yiddish, Romanian, Ukrainian, Amharic, Armenian, Ladino, French, Spanish, German, Vietnamese, Thai, Tagalog and Polish are the most commonly used foreign languages. A certain degree of English is spoken virtually universally, and is the language of choice for many Israeli busi- nesses. Courses on the English language are mandatory in the Israeli school system, and most schools offer either Arabic, Spanish, German or French. Literacy The definition of literacy: Age 15 and over can read and write. • Total population: 95.4% • Male: 97.3% • Female: 93.6% (2003 est.) Education between ages 5 and 18 is compuls- ory. It is not free, but may be subsidized by the government, individual organizations (such as the Beit Yaakov System) or a com- bination. Parents are expected to participate in costs as well. The school system is organ- ized into kindergartens, 6-year primary schools, and either 6-year secondary schools or 3-year junior secondary schools + 3-year senior secondary schools (depending on re- gion), after which a comprehensive examina- tion is offered for university admissions. See Education in israel and the List of universit- ies and colleges in Israel for more information. Israeli demographic policy See also: Demographic threat (Israel) As Israel’s continued existence as a "Jewish State" relies upon maintenance of a Jewish demographic majority, Israeli demographers, politicians and bureaucrats have treated Jew- ish population growth promotion as a central question in their research and policymaking. Non-Jewish population growth and From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Demographics of Israel 10 immigration is regarded as a threat to the Jewish demographic majority and to Israel’s security, as detailed in the Koenig Memorandum. According to Jewish National Fund Board member Daniel Orenstein, Israel is the second most-densely crowded country in the developed world. In an academic article, Orenstein argues that, as elsewhere, over- population is a stressor on the environment in Israel; he shows that environmentalists have conspicuously failed to consider the im- pact of population on the environment and argues that overpopulation in Israel has not been appropriately addressed for ideological reasons.[19][20] Russian immigration During the 1970s about 163,000 people im- migrated to Israel from the USSR. Later Ariel Sharon, in his capacity as Minister of Hous- ing & Construction and member of the Minis- terial Committee for Immigration & Absorp- tion, launched an unprecedented large-scale construction effort to accommodate the new Russian population in Israel so as to facilitate their smooth integration and encourage fur- ther Jewish immigration as an ongoing means of increasing the Jewish population of Is- rael.[21] Citizenship and Entry Law The Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order) 5763 was first passed on 31 July 2003 and has since been extended un- til 31 July 2008. The law places age restric- tions for the automatic granting of Israeli cit- izenship and residency permits to spouses of Israeli citizens, such that spouses who are in- habitants of the West Bank and Gaza Strip are ineligible. On May 8, 2005, The Israeli ministerial committee for issues of legislation once again amended the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law, to restrict citizenship and residence in Israel only to Palestinian men over the age of 35, and Palestinian wo- men over the age of 25. Those in favor of the law say the law not only limits the possibility of the entrance of terrorists into Israel, but, as Ze’ev Boim asserts, allows Israel "to main- tain the state’s democratic nature, but also its Jewish nature" (i.e. it’s Jewish demograph- ic majority).[22] Critics, including the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Ra- cial Discrimination,[23] say the law dispropor- tionately affects Arab citizens of Israel, since Arabs in Israel are far more likely to have spouses from the West Bank and Gaza Strip than other Israeli citizens.[24] References [1] [1] [2] äåãòåú ìòéúåðåú [3] [2] [4] Avraham Tal."It’s ideology, not demography", Haaretz, October 23, 2006 [5] Henry Kamm. "Israeli emigration inspires anger and fear;" New York Times January 4, 1981 [6] Stephen J. Gold. The Israeli Diaspora; Routledge 2002, p.8 [7] ICBS 2005 departures and returns [8] TFR for Mizrahi Haredim [9] ICBS ethnic breakdown [10] ICBS on ’unaffiliated’ people in Israel [11] ICBS data on sabras and olim [12] Jewish Agency: Nativ conversions [13]Ynet: Christian converts to Judaism [14]The Bedouin in Israel: Demography Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1999-07-01 [15]Yoav Stern & Jack Khoury (2007-05-02). "Balad’s MK-to-be: ’Anti-Israelization’ Conscientious Objector". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/ 854636.html. Retrieved on 2007-07-29. For example, Said Nafa, a self-identified "Palestinian Druze" serves as the head of the Balad party’s national council and founded the "Pact of Free Druze" in 2001, an organization that aims ";to stop the conscription of the Druze and claims the community is an inalienable part of the Arabs in Israel and the Palestinian nation at large." [16]Nissim Dana, The Druze in the Middle East: Their Faith, Leadership, Identity and Status, Sussex Academic Press, 2003, p. 201. [17]Table 2.2, Statistical Abstract of Israel 2007, No. 58. [18] "Circassians in Israel". Circassian World. http://www.circassianworld.com/ Israel.html. [19]Orenstein, Daniel. "Population Growth and Environmental Impact: Ideology and Academic Discourse in Israel;" Population and Environment Volume 26, Number 1 / September, 2004 [20]Daniel Orenstein and Steven Hamburg."The JNF’s Assault on the From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Demographics of Israel 11 Negev"; The Jerusalem Report, November 28, 2005 [21]Prime Minister’s Office: Sharon Bio [22]Ben Lynfield. "Arab spouses face Israeli legal purge". The Scotsman. http://news.scotsman.com/ international.cfm?id=721352006. [23] "UN blasts Israeli marriage law". BBC News. 2003-08-15. http://news.bbc.co.uk/ 2/hi/middle_east/3152651.stm. [24] "Israeli marriage law blocks citizenship for Palestinians". San Francisco Chronicle. 2003-08-01. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/ article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/ 08/01/MN110656.DTL. See also • Jew • Jewish ethnic divisions • Yerida • Arab citizens of Israel • Religion in Israel • Languages of Israel • Poverty in Israel External links • Israel no Promised Land for Africans • Sergio Della Pergola, Israele e Palestina: la forza dei numeri. Il conflitto mediorientale fra demografia e politica, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2007 • The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics • CIA World Factbook entry on Israel • Israelbooks.com Annual Assessment 2004-2005: Between Thriving and Decline The Jewish People Policy Planning Institute (2005). Gefen Publishing House. • Kehilot - Secular & Religious Jewish Communities of Israel - Statistics & Facts Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Israel" Categories: Demographics of Israel This page was last modified on 19 May 2009, at 23:52 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax- deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Demographics of Israel 12
