More on 'natural growth' in settlements
My friend A writes:
- The right figure regarding 'Natural Growth' (Israeli) of Judea and Samaria on 2007, according the statistical abstract of Israel Shows: no reason for building becomes:
Left (11,700) are more than the natural growth (9,200).
http://www.cbs.gov.il/shnaton59/st02_18.pdf. (Judea and Samaria is the last row)
The Migration Balance - 4,900
Entered - 16,500
Left - 11,700.
I note that what A is writing about is only the West Bank ('Judea and Samaria') outside occupied East Jerusalem. The statistical table here doesn't break out East Jerusalem from West Jerusalem, but the net out-migration from Jerusalem in 2007 was 6,100.
It is intriguing, though, that at the level of "internal" (intra-Israel) migration, 11,700 people left the settlements in 2007.
No matter what you call it, further Israeli occupation must cease. Netanyahu tells Obama Isreal will not cease building homes in settlements. Fine. Let him. But cut off the spigot of US dollars, completely, now. Let them do whatever they want for a while, with NO US help, and see how far they get. Israel then may tire of a national policy of paranoia.