Settler population was 385,900 by end of 2015. This figure excludes Jerusalem neighborhoods built over the 1967 Green Line
The annual growth of 4.1% is slightly more than double the 2% rate in the rest country.
Houses can be seen at the Jewish West Bank settlement of Maale Efrayim in the Jordan Valley.
The settler population in the West Bank reached 385,900 by the end of last year, according to data the Central Bureau of Statistics published this week.
The annual release of the population data coincided with United States and the United Nations condemnation of the growth of such communities.
According to the CBS, settlers make up 4.5% of the country’s population of 8.4 million.
However, their annual growth of 4.1% is slightly more than double the 2% rate in the rest country.
For the settlers, that marks a slow down in growth from the 5.3% increase they enjoyed in 2009, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu entered office, and the 7.9% rate they saw in 2000.
Out of the 15,200 new residents of Judea and Samaria in 2015, 78% were babies born to parents living in West Bank. Fifteen years ago, settler population growth was more dependent on Israelis relocating to the West Bank. Natural growth accounted for only 43% of the population increase in 2000.
There are 126 West Bank settlements; in 2015 48% of the population lived in the five largest communities, four of which are cities.
The largest Jewish city, Modi’in Illit, had a population of 64,179, followed by Beitar Illit, which had 49,343 residents.
Both cities are located just over the pre-1967 line and have ultra-Orthodox populations.
The third-largest Jewish West Bank city is Ma’aleh Adumim, located east of Jerusalem, some 4.5 kilometers over the pre-1967 line. According to the CBS, it had a population of 37,525 in 2015. Right-wing politicians and Benny Kashriel, the city’s mayor, have complained that it has received very few building permits, creating what they say is a de facto freeze.
According to the CBS, no construction was started in the city in the first two quarters of 2016. In 2015, its population grew by only 121 people.
The fourth-largest settlement city, Ariel, located some 16.1 kilometers over the pre-1967 line, in the heart of Samaria, had a population of 18,717 at the end of 2015.
The fifth-largest settlement, which is not yet a city, is the community of Givat Ze’ev, which is located outside of Jerusalem some 4.5 kilometers over the Green Line. It had a population of 16,123 people in 2015 and is growing faster than both Ariel and Ma’aleh Adumim.
The next five largest settlements are Oranit, which had a population of 8,495, Efrat with 8,301, Alfei Menashe with 7,638, Kochav Ya’acov with 7,313 and Kiryat Arba with 7,108.
The Ring Neighborhoods of Jerusalem (Hebrew: שכונות הטבעת) are eight suburban neighborhoods built as satellites to central Jerusalem. The first neighborhoods built after 1967 were Ramot, French Hill, Neve Yaakov, Pisgat Ze'ev, East Talpiot, and Gilo. In the 1990s,Ramat Shlomo and Har Homa] were added to the list. The international community does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem and considers the neighborhoods illegal settlements, but the Israeli government disputes this.
History and legal status
In 1967, following the Six-Day War, the makeup of Jerusalem was altered. Plans were drawn up to establish new residential neighborhoods on undeveloped land around Jerusalem as a housing solution for young couples, new immigrants, and middle-class families seeking a better quality of life. The city's territory was increased to 108 km2 (42 sq mi) when Israel unilaterally annexed areas north, east and south of the city to Israel, totaling an area three times the size of pre-war West Jerusalem. Today, as many as 165,000 people reside in these communities. According to the United Nations and the European Union,[4] due to their having been built beyond the Green Line, the neighborhoods Israel subsequently built on these annexed grounds are considered to be Israeli settlements, leading them to be considered illegal under international law based on the Fourth Geneva Convention and United Nations Security Council Resolution 476.Israel disputes this, maintaining that these neighborhoods are part of the municipality of Jerusalem, and therefore under Israel's sovereignty. TheUnited States position has been inconsistent. The United States abstained from voting on Resolution 476 and the US Congress has declared that "Jerusalem should remain an undivided city... the capital of the State of Israel" in the Jerusalem Embassy Act. On the other hand, the Obama administration has stated that East Jerusalem settlements must halt construction and expansion permanently. Canada has also shown wavering stances regarding the neighborhoods,[10] by using ambiguous wording or refusing to outwardly classify the neighborhoods as illegal West Bank settlements.
Neighborhoods
- Ramot is located at north-west, north of Highway 1. Established in 1974, it has about 50,000 residents as of 2015
- Ramat Shlomo, due north of downtown was established in 1995. It has an almost entirely Haredi population of 20,000 as of 2014.
- Neve Yaakov is the northernmost neighborhood in Jerusalem. Established in 1970, it has about 30,000 residents as of 2014.
- Pisgat Ze'ev in the north is the largest neighborhood in Jerusalem. Established in 1982, it has about 50,000 residents.[
- French Hill in the north-east was established in 1968. It has a population of over 6,600 residents.
- East Talpiot (East of Talpiot) is located on the eastern edge of the city, situated near the Commissioner's Palace. Established in 1973, it has about 15,000 residents.
- Har Homa in the far south-east was established in 1997. It has about 20,000 residents.
- Gilo at the south-west of the city, is the highest neighborhood. Established in 1971, it has about 40,000 residents.
Another Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem built over the Green Line, Ramat Eshkol (the first to be built), is not considered to be part of the Ring Neighborhoods.
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