Israeli settler population surged during Trump era

Israel's West Bank settler population has grown at a far higher rate than the country as a whole over the last four years, a pro-settler group said Wednesday, a period that coincides with the Trump administration's unprecedented acceptance of settlement activity. The report by West Bank Jewish Population Stats shows the settler population growing by around 13% since the start of 2017 to reach 475,481.

During the same period, Israel's population grew by around 8% to reach nearly 9.3 million, according to the government.The group's report, which is based on official government data, does not include annexed east Jerusalem, home to more than 200,000 settlers.

Baruch Gordon, the director of West Bank Jewish Population Stats, downplayed the influence of US policy, saying the growth rate actually declined in recent years, even before the coronavirus pandemic.The West Bank settler population grew by 2.62% in 2020, according to his figures, compared to 1.7% in Israel as a whole.

Many settlers are religious Jews who tend to have larger families, driving population growth, and many Israelis are drawn to the settlements because they offer more affordable housing.Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem in the 1967 war, and the Palestinians want both as part of their future state.

The Palestinians and much of the international community view the settlements as illegal and as an obstacle to creating a viable, contiguous Palestinian state.The settlers and their supporters view the West Bank as the biblical and historical heartland of the Jewish people and are opposed to any partition.