Israel Matzav: Clinton repeats the demographic lie

Clinton repeats the demographic lie

Former President Bill Clinton was in Jerusalem on Sunday, where he repeated the 'Palestinians' lies about demographics.

"Two things remain unchanged since 1993 – geography and demographics. Palestinians have more children than Israelis can have or import."

Yoram Ettinger points out that, as always, Clinton is lying.

5. A September 2006 World Bank survey of education in Judea, Samaria and Gaza documented a 32% distortion of Arab births by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. According to the bank, the Arab demographic decline resulted from a drop in fertility and a rise in emigration.

6. The decline in Arab population growth follows a twenty year surge, which was a result of the post-1967 access to Israel's health infrastructure. The decline has been caused by urbanization (from a 70% rural to a 70% urban population in Judea and Samaria), unprecedented expansion of the education system, especially among women, and family planning.

7. Net-emigration has accelerated the fall of the Arab population growth rate in Judea and Samaria. From 1950 to 2009, there have been only six years of net-immigration. Net-emigration skyrocketed during the 1950-1967 Jordanian occupation, slowed down drastically following 1967, in response to the enhancement of health, education and employment, surged as a result of the 2000 Intifadah and shifted to a higher gear in 2006, due to the rise of Hamas and the Hamas-PLO war.

8. The Arab fertility rate in Judea and Samaria declined to four births per woman and is trending downward. According to the UN Population Division, the decline typifies all Muslim countries other than Afghanistan and Yemen. For example, Jordan (a "twin-sister" of Judea and Samaria) has three births per woman, Iran – 1.7, Egypt – 2.5, Syria – 3.5 and Algeria – 1.8 births per woman.

9. The Judea and Samaria Arab population of 1.55 million – and not 2.5 million as claimed by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics – was documented in December 2008: a 66% distortion!

'Palestinian' demographics are not a reason for Israel to give up its security. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

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Israel Matzav: Clinton repeats the demographic lie