JERUSALEM (JTA) — The population growth of West Bank Jews was three times higher than in all of Israel, according to a new report.
The Jewish population in the West Bank grew by 107 percent during the past 12 years, according to a statistical annual report conducted by the Ariel University Center of Samaria released Monday. By comparison, the population in all of Israel grew by 29 percent over the same time period.
There were 270,000 Jewish residents of the West Bank by the end of 2007, compared to 230,000 in 2005.
Part of the reason for the high growth is the fact that the median age of Jews living in the West Bank is 20.6, compared to 28.7 for all Israelis. The younger residents of the West Bank are having more children, adding to the explosive population growth, according to the report.
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