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Demography of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict — Global Issues


  • Idea by Joseph Chamie (portland, usa)
  • Associated Press Service

A peace between Israel and Palestine cannot wait another year, a decade, or 75 years. Too many Israelis and Palestinians are being killed, too many are being persecuted and too many are yearning for peace.

The move for a Jewish national homeland in Palestine, which before World War I was part of Ottoman Syriabegan in earnest at the end of the 19th century amid growing anti-Semitism in Europe and The Zionist Movement to establish a Jewish state in Zion. Movement to secure support among Western European governments, especially with the British in 1917 Balfour Declaration advocated “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jews.”

The land in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, established as the British Palestine Commission in 1922, is relatively small, about half the size of Denmark and has a population of about three-quarters of a million. A century later, the population of that land had grown almost twentyfold to 14.8 million, with 9.6 million in Israel and 5.3 million in Israel. State of Palestine.

Jewish migration British mandate over Palestine increased during the first half of the 20th century. As a result of that exodus, the religious composition of the population changed dramatically. The estimated number The number of Jewish emigrants during the years 1920, 1930 and 1940-1945 was 100,000, 223,000 and 45,000 respectively, resulting in a total of 368,000 (Figure 1).

The Palestinian population residing in the British Palestine Commission is predominantly Muslim and Christian. Their share was close to 90 percent in 1922. By 1931, the percentage had dropped to 83 percent and to 68 percent by the mid-1940s. In 1945, the estimated percentage of Muslims, Jews and Christians in the population in the British Palestine Commission were 60, 31 and 8%, respectively (Table 1).

With the establishment of Israel in 1948 as part of the former British Palestine Commission, the demographic composition has changed significantly with the estimated change 750,000 Palestinians. In the newly formed nation of Israel, with a population of nearly one million, the estimated proportion of Jews was 82%, a number that rose to a record high of 89% a decade later.

Demographic changes in the natural increase, migration and religious composition of the populations residing in the former British Commission of Palestine continued throughout the second half of the 20th century as well as into the first two decades of the 21st century.

To this day, the incumbent Prime Minister of Israel, Yair Lapid, speaking at the opening of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, expressed government support for a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

Israeli the prime minister said“A deal with the Palestinians, based on two states for two peoples, is the right thing for Israel’s security, for Israel’s economy and for the future of our children.” He added that despite the obstacles, the majority of Israelis support a two-state solution.

In his statement to the General Assembly, Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, heeded the Israeli Prime Minister’s call for a two-state solution. He added that Palestine also wants to achieve peace with Israel.

The Palestinian President said, “Let us make this peace to live in security, stability and prosperity for the benefit of our generations and all the people of the region.”

In addition, in his address to the General Assembly, the President of the United States, Joseph Biden, called for a lasting peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The U.S. president And in our view, a negotiated two-state solution remains the best way to ensure the security and prosperity of Israel’s future and to give the Palestinians a state in which they are entitled. benefits – both parties fully respect equal rights. of their citizens; both are entitled to equal freedom and dignity. “

At the time of the General Assembly, the Arab Peace Committee had also promoted the establishment of two decades suggestions called for peace and normalization for Arab countries with Israel in exchange for Israel’s complete withdrawal from Palestinian lands captured in the 1967 war and for the establishment of a Palestinian state. That proposal is in line with the United Nations Security Council 242 . Resolutionwhich calls for Israel to withdraw from occupied lands to secure and recognize borders in exchange for peace.

Various schemes have been proposed to solve the problem almost centuries of conflict. Those options include a League of Israel, Jordan and Palestine, autonomy plus for the Palestinians, a federal of the smaller Palestinian provinces or states, and deportation or transfer of Palestinians from the West Bank, also known as Judea and Samaria by Israel (Table 2)

Besides the long and widely supported two-state solution, the two main choices facing Israelis and Palestinians are to maintain the status quo and one-state solution. However, much consider the continuation of the status quo unattainable, obviously not a solution conflict, and also put Israel Democracy in Danger.

In addition, Israeli, Palestinian and international human rights organizations as well as independent organizations observer found Israel racist practice in occupied Palestinian territory.

Amnesty InternationalFor example, it has been reported that Israel enforces a system of oppression and domination over Palestinians wherever they have control over their rights. Similar findings have been reported by Human Rights WatchUN Special RapporteurIsraeli human rights group B’Tselemand Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq. Add Doa, a quarter American Jews now say that Israel is a racist country.

Israel, however, refute the accusation that it is practicing apartheid, speech “It’s a democracy committed to international law and open to surveillance.” Its government cites security concerns in imposing travel restrictions on Palestinians, whose insurgency in recent decades has included suicide bombings in Israeli cities.

Some basic Israeli and Palestinian demographics provide some relevant insight into the possible religious composition of a single-state solution.

On the eve of the Jewish New Year 5782 is observed on September 25 Israel’s population stands at 9.6 million residents, with 7.1 million, or 73.7 percent, Jewish. The Population Status of Palestine estimated to be more than half the size of Israel, about 5.3 million people.

Combining the Israeli and Palestinian populations creates a total population in 2022 of 14.8 million. The percentage of Jews in that combined total population turned out to be a minority of 48 percent. Furthermore, the share of the Jewish population in the one-state solution is projected to decline to 46% by 2030 and further to 45% by 2048 (Figure 2).

On the prospect of a two-state solution, while some emphasize that it is desirable and achievable, other believe it is no longer an option mainly due to today’s realities. Almost 700,000 Israelis currently live in settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

In addition, many of Israel’s political leaders, even those of middle left, does not support a possible, sovereign Palestinian state. In addition, former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to impose Israeli sovereignty in areas of the West Bank. In real terms, some concluded that Israel annexed the West Bank long ago.

Achieving a just and comprehensive two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a formidable undertaking, with many serious challenges. Prominent among those challenges is the status Jerusalemone million plus Palestinians refugees in neighboring countries, religious extremistsinternational boundaries and security.

With truth on the ground and political reality, some concluded that it was time abandoned traditional two-state solution and embracing equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians in a single state. However, the one-state solution would clearly conflict with Israel remaining “Jewish State and Democracy“.

Despite the heavy obstacles, a negotiated peace will lead to countless benefits. Israelis and Palestinians can reap the fruits of peace, reconciliation and the prospect for a better future. In addition, peace will strengthen and expand relations with countries in this strategically important region.

In short, time for Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate ???? ???? , ?? ????, or one peaceful solution The time now is.

Joseph Chamie is an independent consulting demographer, former director of the United Nations Population Division and the author of numerous publications on population issues, including his recent book, “Birth, Death, Migration and Other Important Population Issues. “

© Inter Press Service (2022) – All rights reservedOrigin: Inter Press Service

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