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The West Bank settlement of Eli. (Limor Edrey) Last update - 19:57 16/08/2007 Most settlements lie east of fence, most settlers west By Nadav Shragai, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: growth rate, settlements  While only 48 of the 122 settlements in the West Bank are situated to the west of the separation fence route, these settlements house the vast majority of settlers, according to an analysis conducted by Haaretz. The analysis, which is based on Interior Ministry data, shows that 76.2 percent of all settlers - 209,716 in number - reside in the 48 settlements that will be to the west of the fence, once it is completed. Advertisement Only 65,440 settlers reside, as of 2007, in the 74 settlements that lie to the east of the fence route, comprising 23.8 percent of the overall settler population in the West Bank. The government is expected to evacuate the settlements east of the fence in the framework of a deal with the Palestinians. However, some of those settlements have seen an above average growth rate in 2006. Har Bracha, near Nablus, has expanded by 9.2 percent; Beit Hagai, in the southern Hebron Hills, by 9.5 percent; Talmon, in the northern Binyamin Region, by 8.1 percent; and Yitzhar by 12 percent. Negohot, the only West Bank settlement which is accessible exclusively through Area A, has expanded by 20.6 percent. Area A of the West Bank was placed under full Palestinian Authority security control, both in terms of military and police activities, in the Oslo agreement. However, since Operation Defensive Shield in April 2002, Israel has assumed security control over Area A, on a nearly continuous basis. The settlements west of the fence, which are expected to be annexed to Israel if an agreement is reached, have grown by a total of 11,338 residents between June 2006 and July 2007. The total population of the settlements east of the fence grew by 2,886 settlers during the same time span. The population's growth rate overall, on both sides of the fence, continues to be identical and stands at 5.5 percent. The settlers' struggle to retain the settlements east of the fence is apparent in the analysis of data pertaining to the establishment of new illegal outposts. According to "Peace Now," 112 of the 156 (some 80 percent) outposts have been built on the east side of the fence route. Most of these outposts have been established at strategic points all over the West Bank, along main transport routes, in an attempt to link the relatively isolated enclaves to the bulk of the communities in the West Bank and prevent the Palestinians from obtaining these lands. Exceptionally high population growth rates were registered in Elazar (21.9 percent) and Neve Daniel (10.9 percent) in the Etzion bloc, in Beit Horon (10 percent) and in Kfar Adumim (8.8 percent). Seventy-one percent (roughly 150,000 people) of the Jewish population in the West bank resides in eight major urban areas: Modi'in Illit, Ma'aleh Adumim, Ariel, Givat Ze'ev, Alfei Menashe, Efrat and Karnei Shomron. Whereas the religious towns of Modi'in Illit and Betar Illit expanded by 10 percent, secular settlements expanded less dramatically: Ariel by 0.7 percent, Givat Ze'ev by 1.1 percent, and Ma'aleh Adumim, Efrat, Alfei Menashe and Karnei Shomron each grew by 4.5 percent. Out of 122 settlements in total, 19 shrank and 103 expanded. In 44 of these, the natural growth was below the average, which stands at 3.5 percent. According to Interior Ministry figures, the area which has seen the sharpest decline is the Jordan Valley, which includes the settlements of Gitit, Hamra, Mehola, Na'amah, Niran, Netiv Hagdud and Pazael. However, the following Jordan Valley settlements have grown: Rotem, Yafit, Yitav, Hemdat and Bekaot. The areas of Binyamin Regional Council and the Etzion bloc have seen exceptionally high growth rates. Overall, the number of settlers this year has grown from 260,645 to 275,156, which is a 5.45 percent increase. It is more than twice the growth rate of the Jewish population of Israel. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Sex, lies and videotape 3 kibbutz residents suspected of filming themselves sexually assaulting Danish tourists. Big brother is watching An IDF soldier has been jailed for posting sensitive photos on Facebook.   1.   Jews should be allowed to live everywhere in Judea and Samaria 17:28  |  David 16/08/07   2.   The Fence 17:28  |  Burkhardt 16/08/07   3.   What deal? The Shoa Denier wants RightofReturn to Jaffa etc 17:38  |  LeftistCloudCukoos 16/08/07   4.   Yasher Koach 17:45  |  Choni Davidowitz 16/08/07   5.   Haaretz is part of the problem, not the solution 18:06  |  Gili 16/08/07   6.   Fence 18:07  |  JJ 16/08/07   7.   settlers on the fence 18:14  |  s. kahn 16/08/07   8.   Settlers, settlers. Enough already they are Jews/Israelis. 18:27  |  common sense 16/08/07   9.   #1, I could almost agree with you 18:31  |  Israel 16/08/07   10.   Ethnic Cleansing is OK as long as its JEWS - whisper Arabs... 18:31  |  Lemmings Hotline 16/08/07   11.   Haaretz showing hidden bias? 18:32  |  ASA 16/08/07   12.   there will never be a palestinian state in the WB 18:37  |  David 16/08/07   13.   are you part of the negociation teams 19:22  |  cvmay 16/08/07   14.   # 1 david 19:28  |  Axel 16/08/07   15.   Such number allow the rational observer to suggest that: 19:31  |  Raanan Cohen 16/08/07   16.   It is Israel`s Land 19:41  |  Brod 16/08/07   17.   Live Where you Want- But Not On My Dime 19:57  |  dyinglikeflies 16/08/07   18.   there you have it 20:01  |  ravi 16/08/07   19.   The Ghetto Wall 20:10  |  Andrew 16/08/07   20.   Fence?What fence?The infamous illegal Wall & the Settlements must 20:38  |  lakshmi 16/08/07   21.   # 1: David 20:48  |  Palestinian 16/08/07   22.   jews and the fences 20:55  |  mehmet 16/08/07   23.   "Settlers" revisionist word used by liberals 21:09  |  Bo 16/08/07   24.   It is immoral to ethnically cleanse Judea 21:10  |  AV 16/08/07   25.   No Palestinian State Ever 21:13  |  BobUSA 16/08/07   26.   Lakshmi (#20) dreams on, but his dreams won`t come true 21:16  |  Voice of Reason 16/08/07   27.   Settlers from sea to shining sea 21:22  |  Frank 16/08/07   28.   It`s only a matter of time 21:22  |  Natallie Durson 16/08/07   29.   the West Bank is not occupied Territory 21:31  |  Avi Yerushalmi 16/08/07   30.   Separate Arab political entity west of Jordan will never happen. 21:37  |  Uzi 16/08/07   31.   Axel and David, Where Can Jews Live 21:39  |  Bernie 16/08/07   32.   dyinglikeflies, where the jews can live ... 21:42  |  Bernie 16/08/07   33.   #12david in tel aviv 21:45  |  johnj 16/08/07   34.   to haaretz editorial you should stop 21:47  |  alex 16/08/07   35.   Here is an equitable and quite practicable diplomatic horizon: 21:56  |  Uzi 16/08/07   36.   # 21 av 22:00  |  Axel 16/08/07   37.   # 15 raanan 22:30  |  Axel 16/08/07   38.   Israel be careful what you do with God`s land 22:34  |  Jeremiah 16/08/07   39.   Let`s talk real statistics 22:58  |  Chick 16/08/07   40.   No axel, you have not missed anything. The approach, widely 22:59  |  Raanan Cohen 16/08/07   41.   Raanan Cohen 23:39  |  Goldenberg 16/08/07   42.   # 40 raanan 00:29  |  Axel 17/08/07   43.   #1 David, who refuses to mention one other fact 05:58  |  Johnboy 17/08/07   44.   to #1 12:53  |  Bill 17/08/07   45.   all those settlements for palest. refugees!!!!!!! 20:26  |  abraham 24/04/08

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