West Bank Jewish Population Growing
Ryan R. Jones - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's West Bank withdrawal plan notwithstanding, the Jewish population on the lands Israelis see as the cradle of their biblical civilization increased by three percent in the first half of this year. According to population registry statistics published by Israel's Interior Ministry, 260,932 Israeli Jews now call Judea and Samaria "home." That number is up from 253,748 at the end of last year. And settler spokeswoman Emily Amrusy told The Jerusalem post that of the 7,200 new residents, less than 300 were from the former Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip. Olmert intends to unilaterally uproot most of the 121 West Bank settlements as part of what he calls a "realignment" of Israel's strategic boundaries. The plan was the cornerstone of his election campaign earlier this year. But the prime minister experienced a backlash of public opinion after he stressed his desire to press forward with the withdrawal immediately after the war with Hezbollah, and on the strength of what he perceived as an Israeli victory in Lebanon. Even senior members of his own Kadima Party said now was not the time to be discussing such moves, and that the unilateral paradigm would have to be reexamined. Opposition leaders say the war with Hezbollah and ongoing Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza prove that surrendering land in the |
