JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel’s settler population in the West Bank increased by 2 percent in the first half of the year, an advocacy group announced Tuesday, signaling robust growth in the settlements even while Israel was conducting peace talks with the Palestinians.
The new figures drew criticism from the Palestinians, who seek the West Bank as part of a future state. The Palestinians and most of the international community consider Israeli construction there to be illegal or illegitimate.
The Yesha Council, the official umbrella group representing the more than 100 Jewish settlements in the West Bank, said the settler population grew to 382,031 as of June 30, up 2 percent from 374,469 on Dec. 31. The projected 4 percent annual growth rate would be more than double Israel’s nationwide growth rate, according to official figures.
“It is clear that it is a thriving community that is here to stay,” said Dani Dayan, the chief foreign envoy of the Yesha Council.
Dayan said the increase was driven by a combination of natural population growth as well as an influx of Israelis drawn to the West Bank for ideological, lifestyle or economic reasons. Many settlers are Orthodox Jews, who tend to have larger families. But housing in the settlements is generally cheaper than inside Israel, where even a modest apartment in major urban areas can cost more than $500,000, making the settlements an attractive destination for younger families.