Israel’s West Bank settler population has grown at a far higher rate than the country as a whole over the last four years, a pro-settler group said Wednesday, a period that coincides with the Trump administration’s unprecedented acceptance of settlement activity.
The report by West Bank Jewish Population Stats shows the settler population growing by around 13 per cent since the start of 2017 to reach 4,75,481. During the same period, Israel’s population grew by around 8 per cent to reach nearly 9.3 million, according to the Government.
The group’s report, which is based on official government data, does not include annexed east Jerusalem, home to more than 2,00,000 settlers.
Baruch Gordon, the director of West Bank Jewish Population Stats, downplayed the influence of US Policy, saying the annual growth rate actually declined in recent years even before the coronavirus pandemic.
The West Bank settler population grew by 2.62 per cent in 2020, according to his figures, compared to 1.7 per cent in Israel as a whole. In 2016, the settler population grew 3.59 per cent.