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Sunday, May 3, 2009

Regrettable statistical error: B. Michael says Independence Day report that Jews comprise 75% of Israel’s population inaccurate

From YNET, the web site of Yediot Ahronot, Israel's largest newspaper.

Regrettable statistical error

B. Michael says Independence Day report that Jews comprise 75% of Israel’s population inaccurate

On the eve of the recent Independence Day, the Central Bureau of Statistics maintained the tradition of publishing the number of Israeli residents at this time. The total figure provided was 7.4 million people.

There was also some happy news on the occasion of the holiday: The overwhelming Jewish majority in the country has been maintained. According to the statistics provided by the Bureau, 75.5% of Israel’s residents at this time are Jewish, while only 24.5% of the country’s residents are not Jewish.

However, it appears that these figures were tainted by a regrettable error. The source of the error has to do with the strange existence of what is known around here as the Green line. Yes, that same Green Line , which has seemingly passed away a long time ago, has reemerged from its grave yet again (and perhaps it was even pulled out of the grave by force) – this tends to happen every time the country’s statistical or public relations needs require it.

Real figures paint different picture, So here are the real figures, below:

According to the data provided by the Central Bureau of Statistics and by the CIA, the Israeli government rules over 11.43 million people at this time.

Of those, 5.6 million people are Jewish, while 5.83 million people are not Jewish (2.46 million Palestinians in the West Bank, 1.55 million Palestinians residing in the Gaza Strip, 1.5 million Palestinians who are citizens of the State of Israel, and another 0.32 million people characterized as “other non-Jews.”)

Therefore, the accurate figures are in fact as follows: A total of 49% Jews and 51% non-Jews currently live across the territory of the Israeli empire.

Indeed, we may start referring to ourselves as “members of the minority.”

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