There is no ethnic cleansing in Israel and the West Bank - this is why - opinion

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics recently published data revealing the astonishing growth of Palestinian and Israeli Arab populations since 1914 within the borders of what the Palestinian Authority labels "historic Palestine." From 1948 to 1967, when Jordan illegally occupied these territories, the Arab population shrank by 4.2%, from 1.42 million to 1.36 million. This period alone disproves any claims of ethnic cleansing perpetrated by Israel.

Following Israel's capture of Judea and Samaria during the 1967 Six-Day War, the Arab population began a meteoric rise. Over the next six decades, the Arab population surged from 1.36 million to the current 7.41 million, marking a staggering 445% increase. This growth is unprecedented compared to other neighboring Arab states, where population increases were significantly lower.

The Palestinian Authority's own statistics demonstrate that Israel's treatment of Palestinian Arabs has been a catastrophic failure of an "ethnic cleansing" policy. Infant mortality rates plummeted from 152 per 1,000 births before Israeli rule to 29 per 1,000 under Israeli rule by 1996, and life expectancy rose from 48 years to 72 years over the same period.

Additionally, the modernization of agricultural techniques introduced by Israel led to agricultural booms, contributing to the thriving Arab economy in Judea and Samaria since the 1970s.

Contrary to anti-Israel narratives, Israel's Arab population has grown from 150,000 in 1948 to 2.15 million today, a 1,333% increase. This demographic transformation is unparalleled compared to the population decline of Christians in Bethlehem, which dropped from 50% of the population under Israeli rule to less than 10% under Palestinian rule since 1994.

In conclusion, if Israel has a policy of ethnic cleansing, it has been a resounding failure. If it wishes to pursue such a policy, it must find better methods. Israel has no reason to emulate the Palestinian Authority's methods, as demonstrated by the tragic decline of Bethlehem's Christian population. Instead, Israel must learn from its own policies and continue to provide opportunities and improvements for its Arab population.