(JNS) Yoram Ettinger - Israel is the only Western democracy with a relatively high fertility rate. Israel's Jewish fertility rate is higher than those of all Muslim countries other than Iraq and the sub-Saharan Muslim countries. The Jewish fertility rate of 3.13 births per woman is higher than the 2.85 Arab rate (since 2016) and the 3.01 Arab-Muslim fertility rate (since 2020). Far from facing a "demographic time bomb," the Jewish state enjoys a robust demographic tailwind, aided by immigration. The official Palestinian figures include a 100% artificial inflation of population numbers, due to the inclusion of overseas residents, double-counting Jerusalem Arabs and Israeli Arabs married to Judea and Samaria Arabs, an inflated birth rate and deflated death rate. The number of Israeli Jewish births in 2022 (137,566) was 71% higher than in 1995 (80,400), while the number of Israeli Arab births in 2022 (43,417) was 19% higher than in 1995 (36,500). In 2022, Jewish births were 76% of total births, compared to 69% in 1995. The unique growth in Israel's Jewish fertility rate is attributed to optimism, patriotism, attachment to Jewish roots, communal solidarity, and a frontier mentality. In 2021, Israeli males' life expectancy was 80.5 years and Israeli females' was 84.6. Israel's Arab life expectancy (78 for men and 82 for women) is higher than the U.S. life expectancy. In 2023, there is a 69% Jewish majority in the combined area of pre-1967 Israel, Judea and Samaria (7.5 million Jews, 2 million Israeli Arabs and 1.4 million Arabs in Judea and Samaria).
2023-03-23 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive