(CSBI).
According to the CSIS, published on December 30, 2016, the total population of Israel (excluding foreign workers and illegal immigrants) is 8 million 628 thousand people. Of them:
It is also reported that the population of Israel has increased by 167 thousand people, which is 2%; the country's population growth rates have remained virtually unchanged over the past decade. In 2016, 181 thousand children were born in Israel, 43 thousand people died. Thus, 83% of the population growth is explained by the excess of the birth rate over the death rate, another 17% - by the excess of the number of new repatriates and re-emigrants over emigrants.
According to religious confessions, the population of Israel is distributed as follows: Jews - 6 million 446 thousand (all Jews are automatically recorded in this category), 1 million 524 thousand - Muslims, 168 thousand - Christians and 139 thousand - Druze.
Among the Jewish population of the country, 75% are born in Israel ( tsabarim, sabras), of which about half are the first generation born in Israel. More than a quarter of the Jewish population are repatriates ( olim). Of the Jews living in Israel, 44% consider themselves secular, 36% adhere to traditions, 20% are religious (including 9% of the ultra-Orthodox - "haredim"). In addition to the permanent population, about 183 thousand foreigners live in the country.
From 2000 to 2016, the share of the Jewish population decreased by 3.1%, while that of the Muslims increased by 2.2%. The share of the rest increased by 0.9%.
According to statistics, the first population census in Israel in November 1948 recorded the following indicators:
The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics distinguishes the following population groups:
The country's Jewish population is not culturally uniform due to the fact that more than a quarter of Jews are immigrants in the first generation. In Israel, it is customary to divide the population into the natives of the country ( tsabarim, sabra) and repatriates ( olim), as well as distinguish among the natives of the country people from various communities. The largest are communities of immigrants from the USSR, Morocco, Romania and Poland. In 2016, among the Jews living in Israel, 75% (4 million 935 thousand) were born in Israel, of which 2 million 929 thousand were the second or more generation in Israel, and 25% (1 million 511 thousand) were immigrants ...
In 2009, for the first time in 2000 years, Israel's Jewish population exceeded the number of Jews in the diaspora.
Jews from the USSR played an important role in the Zionist movement and in the creation of Israel, and after 1970 took a significant part in the development of Israel's science and economy. Today, Russian-speaking Jews make up 20% of the Jewish population of Israel and 15% of the total population of the country.
The share of immigrants from the former USSR who settled in Israel after 1990 in some cities (for example, Ashkelon and Bat Yam) is more than a quarter of the population, and in Sderot almost half of the city's population.
Israeli demographers also identify such a concept as the "expanded Jewish population." For other countries, this concept includes all family members in which at least one person is included in the “core” of the Jewish population. For Israel, the "expanded Jewish population" includes the entire Jewish population of the country and persons who have received citizenship under the Law of Return. According to the 2008 census, the "expanded Jewish population" accounted for about 80% of the country's population, including, in addition to the Jews themselves, also people of other ethnic roots (mainly Russians, Ukrainians and immigrants from other republics of the former USSR), married to Jews, as well as children and grandchildren from such marriages, who are not always Jews according to the Jewish canon law of Halacha.
Christian Arabs live mainly in the north of the country, as well as in the cities of Haifa, Jerusalem and Jaffa. The main Druze settlements of Israel are in the Galilee and on the Carmel Ridge; About 20 thousand Druze live in the Golan Heights annexed by Israel.
Among the Arab population, the Bedouins are sometimes distinguished as a sub-ethnic group, most of whom live in the Negev and a certain number in the Galilee - 270 thousand in 2008.
Israeli Circassians and Lebanese are also ranked among the Arab population in Israel. Circassians live in two villages in the north of the country (Kfar-Kama and Rehania) - about 3 thousand people, they are the descendants of the Muhajirs after the Caucasian war, and they keep one of the western dialects of the Adyghe language in everyday life. Lebanese - about 2,600 former soldiers of the South Lebanese Army and the population who fled with them after Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000.
Christian Armenians living in the Armenian quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem and in the ancient city of Jaffa, in the neighborhood of Christian Arabs and Muslim Arabs.
Since the founding of the State of Israel, 3.2 million people have come to the country. Since 2002, after the decline in the wave of repatriates from the former USSR, the level of repatriation resembles the level of the 1980s - from 9 to 20 thousand per year.
In 2016, 25,997 people immigrated to Israel, which is about 3 people per thousand of the population. 57% came from the countries of the former USSR - mainly from Russia and Ukraine, 17% came from France and 11% came from the USA. The largest number of newcomers settled in Jerusalem. The median age of the repatriate is 32.7 years, the share of people who have studied over 12 years old, among those over 25 years old - 79%. In addition to repatriates, 4,200 re-emigrants entered the country in 2016.
In 2016, according to rough estimates, there were about 169 thousand foreign workers in Israel, including 95 thousand who entered on a work visa, and about 45 thousand illegal migrants (mainly from Eritrea - 71% and Sudan - 20%). During the year 53 thousand people entered the country with a work visa, 46 thousand left. The flow of illegal migrants from Africa has almost completely stopped, during the year 18 illegal migrants entered the country, about 3 thousand left Israel. In 2016, about 15,000 applications for refugee status were filed, which is twice as many as in the previous year and five times as many as in the previous year; mainly - from citizens of Ukraine, Eritrea and Georgia:
The immigrant workers who arrived in 2016 (53 thousand people) are distributed by country as follows: from the countries of the former USSR (Ukraine, Moldova, Uzbekistan) - 27%, Thailand - 16%, Philippines - 13%, India - 11%, Sri Lanka - 5%, China - 5%, Turkey - 4%, Nepal - 2%, Romania - 2%.
In 2016, the population was distributed across Israel as follows:
About 399 thousand Israeli citizens live in Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria, such as the cities of Ariel, Beitar Ilit, Maale Adumim, Modiin Ilit and smaller settlements. Some Jewish settlements, such as Hebron and Gush Etzion, existed even before the formation of the state and were re-populated by Jews after the Six Day War (1967). 7,800 people lived in the Gaza Strip prior to their forced eviction in 2005.
In addition, in 2016, 22,000 Israelis lived in the Golan Heights; 201 thousand people lived in East Jerusalem. The total number of Israelis living outside the recognized borders of Israel exceeds 510 thousand people [ ] .
As of 2016, there were 15 cities in Israel with a population of over 100,000. 2,723 thousand (31.5% of the population) Israelis lived in the eight largest cities with a population of over 200,000 people (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Rishon LeZion, in Judea and Samaria) - 391 people / km²; the population density in 2000 was 288 people / km².
For 2015, the highest population density is in Tel Aviv District (7957 people / km²). There is also a relatively high density in the Jerusalem District (1620 people / km²) and the Central District (1600 people / km²). The lowest population density is in the desert Southern District - 85 people / km². Among cities with a population of over 100 thousand people, the highest population density is in Bnei Brak - 24 870 people / km². The population density in Tel Aviv is 8358 people / km², in Jerusalem - 6887 people / km².
At the end of 2016, the population of Israel was 8 million 628 thousand inhabitants.
The Sephardic community of Israel, in terms of its numbers, constitutes the overwhelming majority of all Sephardic people in the world.
About 35% of the Jewish population of Israel (excluding the second generation natives of the country) are from the Arab world, whose language of everyday communication was the dialects of the Arabic language. The largest communities are immigrants from Morocco (661 thousand - almost half of all immigrants from Arab countries), from Iraq (245.5 thousand) and Yemen (146 thousand). An insignificant part of the population of Israel (less than 5%) are immigrants from the Iranian world, whose language of everyday communication was the dialects of the Iranian group: Iranian Jews (most of the community), Bukharian (about half of the community), mountain (about 1/5 of the community) and Afghan ( the whole community). Special ethnolinguistic groups are Kurdish Jews (the entire community), who used dialects of the Aramaic language; immigrants from Georgia (approximately half of the entire community), who used the Georgian language in everyday communication; Bnei Yisrael (half of the entire community) from the Indian state of Maharashtra, who spoke the Marathi dialect; Ethiopian Jews (approximately half of the entire community) who spoke Amharic; Cochin Jews from the Malabar coast of India (the entire community), who spoke Malayalam, and Crimean Jews (see Krymchaks), who spoke the Crimean Tatar language (part of the Karaites spoke the same dialect).
A more general division, which does not always coincide with the ethnolinguistic division, is the division into immigrants from the countries of Europe and America and the countries of Asia and Africa, adopted in Israeli statistics. The basis for this division is the difference between the types of society - industrial and traditional-patriarchal, which left an imprint on the way of life, the nature and level of education, the nature of economic activity and the structure of the family of local Jewish communities and largely determined the socio-economic situation of people from these communities after their repatriation (see State of Israel. Absorption).
As in many other societies with a complex ethnic structure, there are two parallel trends among the Jewish population of Israel - towards integration and the creation of unified types and towards the maintenance and development of communal pluralism. A common language, a common religious tradition, Zionist ideology, social integration within mixed urban areas, schools and the army, as well as targeted government policies promoting the integration of people from Eastern communities into the socio-economic structure of Israeli society, Western in its type, led to a rapid the development of the process of cultural and social consolidation of the Jewish population and the gradual unification of behavioral norms, family structure, etc. (see demographic profile below). Nevertheless, despite the steady trend towards smoothing out socio-economic inequality between immigrants from Europe and America and from Asia and Africa, the gap has not yet been bridged and remains one of the most pressing problems of Israeli society.
The trend towards communal pluralism is manifested mainly in the sphere of cultural activities and in maintaining (and often already in recreating) everyday and folklore traditions. Since the mid-1970s. increased scientific interest in ethnographic and cultural peculiarities and history of Jewish communities, first of all - in the East. Literary works created in the diaspora are included in the compulsory school curricula. Elements of the cultures of various communities become part of the general Israeli culture (for example, the musical and dance folklore of the Jews of Yemen, the holiday of the Moroccan Jews of Mimun, etc.; see State of Israel. Culture).
Agriculture remains the main occupation of the Bedouins. The uncontrolled grazing of livestock by the Bedouins sometimes leads to damage to the agricultural land of kibbutz and moshavs, therefore today the territory of pastures is clearly defined (its size varies depending on the season). There is a tendency to expand the range of professions among the Bedouins, despite this, the problem of unemployment in the Bedouin sector is very acute.
Attempts by government agencies continue to facilitate the transition of the Negev Bedouins to a sedentary lifestyle. Thus, Rakh at was built, the villages of Tel Sheva, Kseifa, Khura and others were created, but most Bedouins still prefer to live in tents.
Bedouins are Sunni Muslims. Most were illiterate and, accordingly, could not read the Qur'an. Obviously, for this reason, the Bedouin religion had many differences from traditional Islam, some of which persist to this day. In recent years, there has been a tendency for the Bedouins of Israel to approach traditional Islam. Mosques are being built in Bedouin cities and urban-type settlements, and knowledge of the laws of Islam improves with the spread of literacy.
In general, Bedouins are loyal citizens of Israel. While military service is not mandatory for them, many join the Israel Defense Forces voluntarily. Along with this, from time to time there are conflicts between the state and the Bedouin population related to the illegal use of land and construction.
In the 1960-1990s. a significant number of churches, monasteries and religious schools were built and restored. Many holy sites have been restored or renovated, and significant construction work to provide access to the holy sites was carried out at state or municipal expense (in the Old City of Jerusalem, Lake Kinneret and elsewhere). By tradition, representatives of the highest church hierarchy participate in Israeli public and civil ceremonies (opening of the Knesset sessions, celebrations on the occasion of Israel's Independence Day, etc.), and representatives of the Israeli government are invited to religious ceremonies of Christian communities (consecration of churches, elevation to the rank of higher hierarchs etc.), as well as for Christmas and Easter services. On New Year's Eve (according to the Gregorian calendar), the President of Israel gives a reception in honor of the heads of the country's Christian churches. Christian Arabs in Israel are exempt from military service.
As of April 2004, the population of Israel is 6 million 780 thousand people. At the time of the creation of the state, it had only 806 thousand inhabitants. Although the country's population continues to grow, its growth rates are declining: in 2001 it was 2.1%, in 2002 - 1.9%, in 2003 - 1.8%. Due to the higher birth rate in the Arab sector and the continuously decreasing share of Jews in the composition of repatriates from the CIS countries, the share of Jews in the population of Israel decreased from 81.8% in December 1990 to 77.8% in December 2000 and to 76.5 % - in December 2003
| Year | Jewish population (thousand people) | Non-Jewish population (thousand people) | Total | Share of Jews in total population (%) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 716,7 | 156,0 | 872,7 | 82,1 | ||
| 1950 | 1203,0 | 167,1 | 1370,1 | 87,8 | ||
| 1955 | 1590,5 | 198,6 | 1789,1 | 88,9 | ||
| 1960 | 1911,3 | 239,1 | 2150,4 | 88,9 | ||
| 1965 | 2299,1 | 299,3 | 2598,4 | 88,5 | ||
| 1970 | 2582,0 | 440,1 | 3022,1 | 85,4 | ||
| 1975 | 2959,4 | 533,8 | 3493,2 | 84,7 | ||
| 1980 | 3282,7 | 639,0 | 3921,7 | 83,7 | ||
| 1985 | 3517,2 | 709,0 | 4226,2 | 83,2 | ||
| 1990 | 3946,7 | 875,9 | 4821,7 | 81,8 | ||
| 1995 | 4522,3 | 1090,0 | 5612,3 | 80,6 | ||
| 2000 | 4955,4 | 1413,9 | 6369,3 | 77,8 | ||
| 2001 | 5025,0 | 1483,8 | 6508,8 | 77,8 | ||
| 2002 | 5094,2 | 1536,9 | 6631,1 | 76,8 | ||
| 2003 | 5143,0 | 1573,0 | 6716,0 | 76,5 |
The sources of population growth can be both the difference between the average annual fertility and mortality rates, and a positive migration balance. In December 2002, the population of Israel was 6 million 631 thousand people. Natural population growth in the same year amounted to 100.8 thousand people. At the same time, another 21 thousand people were added due to the positive migration balance. Thus, the population of Israel in 2002 increased by 122 thousand people (1.9%). For comparison, the following data can be cited. From 1996 to 2000, the population of Israel increased by 757 thousand people: by 460 thousand due to natural growth and, in addition, by another 296 thousand due to the positive migration balance. Thus, the annual population growth rate during this period reached 2.6%. In terms of the migration balance, the most fruitful period was from 1990 to 1995, when the population of Israel increased due to the influx of immigrants (593 thousand) to a greater extent than due to natural increase (465 thousand). In total, during this period, the annual population growth rate was 3.5%. In 2002, the Jewish population increased by 69 thousand people, of which 61 thousand were added due to natural increase and 9.3 thousand - due to the migration balance. At the same time, the highest annual population growth was observed among the Jewish residents of Judea, Samaria and Gaza (5.6%), while in the Tel Aviv district it was negative (-0.3%). In 1961-71. the average annual growth rate of the Jewish population was 3%. Then it dropped to 2.2% in 1972–82. and up to 1.5% in 1983–89. Subsequently, there was a sharp rise - 3.4% in 1990–95. (the main factor that influenced this growth was the massive aliyah from the USSR / CIS), and after that - an almost equally sharp decline (in 1996-99 the average annual population growth rate was 1.8%, in 2000 - 1 , 7%, in 2001 and 2002 - 1.4%).
The demographic situation in the Muslim sector is different: in 2002, the Muslim population of the country increased by 33.7 thousand people, almost entirely due to natural growth, while the total population was one million four thousand people. Thus, the annual growth rate was 3.4%. For comparison: in the period from 1996 to 2001, the Muslim population of the country increased by 158 thousand people, which amounted to 3.6% of the annual growth. In general, the growth of the Muslim population is gradually slowing down. A lower annual population growth than in 2002 was observed in the Muslim sector only between 1983 and 1989 - 3.2%. However, in the subsequent period, from 1990 to 1995, the annual growth of the Muslim population increased to 3.7% and again began to gradually decline. Nevertheless, the current annual growth of the Muslim population of Israel is one of the highest in the world (for comparison: 2.8% in Syria and Jordan and 2.1% in Egypt). At the same time, among the Arabs - residents of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip - the population is growing even faster - 4.8% per year.
Among the Christian population of the country, the annual growth in 2002 was only 1.3%, while in 2001 and 2000 it reached 2.5%. At the same time, if in the Jewish and Muslim sectors the annual population growth consistently decreases from year to year, then in the composition of the Christian population such a sequence is not observed. In 1961-71. its annual growth was 2.9%, in 1972–82. - 1.8%, and in 1996-2000. it increased to 2.3%. This is explained by the fact that the migration balance plays a much more significant role in the annual increase in the Christian population than in other sectors. For example, in 2001, the positive migration balance amounted to 50.2% of the total increase, in 2000 - 59.8%, and in 1990–95. - 78.9% (as a result, the overall growth of the Christian population during this period reached 7.2%).
Today, 5 million 181 thousand Jews live in Israel - 76.4% of the total population, 1 million 311 thousand Arabs - 19.3%; 288 thousand people belong to other nationalities and religions. Among the latter, there are 27 thousand Christians from among the direct relatives of repatriates from the former USSR and 261 thousand non-Jews who arrived in the country on the basis of the Law on Return and did not define their religious affiliation. The confessional structure of the Arab population: 1 million 82 thousand Muslims, 117 thousand Christians and 111 thousand Druze.
In 2003, the total population of Israel increased by 117 thousand people (1.8%). This is the lowest figure since 1989. This is largely due to the reduction in aliyah, which amounted to 23 thousand people (in 2001 it was 44 thousand, in 2002 - 34.5 thousand). More than half of the repatriates who arrived in Israel in 2003 (13 thousand people) came from the CIS and Baltic countries, 13% (three thousand people) - from Ethiopia, 8% (1800 people) - from France, 7% (1700 people) - from the USA, 3% (700 people) - from Canada. The number of repatriates from North America increased by 20% in comparison with 2002. Meanwhile, a quarter of the returnees who arrived in Israel from North America after 1989 have left the country. The share of repatriates who left Israel from the United States is 22.5% of the number of arrivals, from Canada - 25.8%, from South Africa - 19.8%, from Great Britain - 19.3%, from France - 16%.
| Year | Number of Jews in Israel (thousand people) | Number of Jews worldwide (thousand people) | Share of the Jewish population Israel in total Jews in the world (percentage) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | 24 | 7 800 | 0,3 |
| 1900 | 50 | 10 600 | 0,4 |
| 1914 | 85 | 13 500 | 0,6 |
| 1922 | 84 | 14 400 | 0,6 |
| 1925 | 136 | 14 800 | 0,9 |
| 1931 | 175 | 15 700 | 1,10 |
| 1939 | 449 | 16 600 | 2,70 |
| 1948 | 650 | 11 500 | 5,60 |
| 1955 | 1 590 | 11 800 | 13,40 |
| 1970 | 2 582 | 12 630 | 20,40 |
| 1975 | 2 959 | 12 740 | 23,20 |
| 1980 | 3 283 | 12 840 | 25,50 |
| 1985 | 3 517 | 12 870 | 27,30 |
| 1990 | 3 947 | 12 870 | 30,60 |
| 1995 | 4 522 | 12 892 | 35,00 |
| 2000 | 4 955 | 12 914 | 38,30 |
| 2001 | 5 025 | 12 936 | 38,80 |
| 2002 | 5 094 | 12 948 | 39,30 |
From 1990 to 2002, 987.5 thousand people immigrated to Israel, of which about 850 thousand were from the former Soviet Union and 80 thousand from Ethiopia (from 1990 to September 2001). These figures include children born in Israel and do not include people who have died after repatriation. Excluding these amendments, the number of repatriates from Ethiopia was 43.3 thousand, and from the former Soviet Union - 885.5 thousand.
The youngest ethnic group of Jews is repatriates from the countries of North America and Oceania: among them, children under 15 years old make up 23%, and pensioners - 7.7%. Then there are repatriates from Ethiopia, among whom children make up 19%, and pensioners - only 5%, as well as from France (pensioners - 9%, children - 17%). The opposite situation is observed among repatriates from Poland, among whom the number of old people (over 65) is 74.5% of the total. Among the repatriates from the former Soviet Union - 19% of pensioners and 8% of children (excluding those born in Israel). In total, among the returnees - immigrants from Europe, America and Oceania - the age indicators (according to 2002 data) are as follows: pensioners make up 26%, and children - 7.7%. Among the natives of the other two continents, there is a much more pronounced predominance of the elderly population. Among immigrants from Asia, pensioners make up 39%, while children - 0.09%. The population of immigrants from Africa (excluding repatriates from Ethiopia) shows an even greater gap between the two age poles: pensioners - 28%, children - 0.05%. This is due to the fact that for several decades Israel has not received waves of aliyah from Asian and African countries (natives of the Asian republics of the former USSR are included in a separate statistics of repatriates from the USSR / CIS).
The number of natives of Israel in the second generation (the father is also a native of Israel) in 2002 was 1 million 566 thousand people. The total number of natives of Israel (both in the first generation and in all previous ones) numbered 3 million 341 thousand people, that is, approximately 62% of the total Jewish population.
The largest percentage of natives of Israel is observed among the residents of the Jewish settlements of Judea, Samaria and Gaza - 78.8%, while the largest (in percentage terms) number of immigrants who came to Israel from different countries is concentrated in the Southern District - 372.9 thousand people (46 %). At the same time, Beer Sheva is the only large city besides Ashdod (over 100 thousand inhabitants), in which natives of Israel make up less than half of the population. In addition, the largest number of repatriates who arrived in the country after 1990 is concentrated in the Southern District, both in percentage (28.3%) and in absolute terms - 229.7 thousand people. It is followed, by a small margin, by the Haifa District, in which the number of people born abroad was 45% of the total in 2002, and there were 160.2 thousand repatriates who arrived in the country after 1990 ( 24.6%). The largest percentage of the country's natives (not counting the composition of the population of Judea, Samaria and Gaza) is in the Jerusalem District - 71.3% (399.2 thousand people); in the Central District, it is 65.4% (339.2 thousand); in the Tel Aviv district - 63.8% (731.4 thousand); in the Northern District - 61.4% (333 thousand).
| A place birth | North America and Oceania | South America | USSR / CIS | Europe | Africa | Asia | Israel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents of Israel born in countries of origin | 73 | 60 | 950 | 354 | 319 | 228 | 3 341 |
| Natives of Israel (local father's birth) | 48 | 35 | 207 | 464 | 540 | 481 | 1 565 |
The predominant type of population is urban: in 2002, urban residents accounted for 91.6% of the total population of Israel. The number of cities with a population of over 100 thousand inhabitants increased from ten in 1983 to 13 in 2002, and their share in the total population was 43.9%.
The average population density increased from 188 people per 1 sq. km in 1984 up to 299 people per 1 sq. km by the end of 2002. The highest population density is observed in the Tel Aviv district - 6 thousand 790 people per 1 sq. km. km. In the Jerusalem district, the average population density is 1.2 thousand people per 1 sq. km, and in Haifa - 972 people. The lowest population density in the Negev is 40 people per sq. km, as well as on the Golan plateau - 31 people.
By the end of 2002, 5 million 367 thousand people lived in Jewish settlements. The largest Jewish population is concentrated in the center of the country (Ramat ha-Sharon, Ramla, Rehovot, Petah Tikva - 1 million 418 thousand people), in second place is the Tel Aviv district (1 million 145 thousand people). In the Southern District, the Jewish population was 816 thousand people. By the end of 2002, 564 thousand Jews lived in the Jerusalem district, and 546 thousand in the Northern district. The Arab population was distributed by districts as follows: the highest concentration was in the Northern district; Thus, in Akko and its environs lived 313 thousand Arabs, in the Jezreel Valley - 210 thousand. Then the Jerusalem District (229 thousand) follows in terms of the Arab population, and in all other districts the Arab population did not exceed 200 thousand people.
| Year | 0–4 | 5–14 | 15–19 | 20–24 | 25–34 | 35–44 | 45–54 | 55–64 | 65–74 | 75+ | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 163,4 | 196,9 | 100,6 | 103,0 | 197,0 | 202,5 | 128,6 | 66,1 | 33,4 | 11,6 | 1203,0 |
| 1955 | 216,9 | 322,7 | 117,7 | 120,5 | 236,0 | 210,0 | 184,2 | 107,9 | 53,3 | 21,2 | 1590,5 |
| 1960 | 220,3 | 444,4 | 141,6 | 133,6 | 257,6 | 233,7 | 235,9 | 148,1 | 67,9 | 28,2 | 1911,3 |
| 1970 | 276,8 | 499,2 | 269,7 | 258,1 | 309,3 | 276,2 | 260,6 | 245,3 | 134,8 | 52,0 | 2582,0 |
| 1980 | 359,6 | 639,7 | 263,4 | 275,9 | 555,3 | 314,8 | 294,0 | 261,8 | 217,5 | 100,5 | 3282,7 |
| 1990 | 381,8 | 750,2 | 350,4 | 304,6 | 558,1 | 564,7 | 326,6 | 295,0 | 240,0 | 173,3 | 3946,6 |
| 2000 | 447,2 | 831,0 | 417,0 | 406,0 | 700,2 | 596,8 | 617,4 | 364,3 | 315,5 | 259,9 | 4955,4 |
| 2001 | 453,2 | 833,9 | 421,4 | 403,2 | 724,6 | 594,9 | 622,4 | 383,9 | 317,7 | 269,6 | 5025,0 |
| 2002 | 460,3 | 840,6 | 421,8 | 405,2 | 746,3 | 593,3 | 619,3 | 407,3 | 323,6 | 276,6 | 5094,2 |
The median age (the age below which half of the population is) in 2002 was 27.9 years. The lowest median age (20.6 years) is observed in the settlement environment. This is due to the extremely small number of pensioners (3.3 thousand people aged 65 to 74 and 2 thousand over 75 years old) relative to the total number of settlers (214 thousand, while the number of children under the age of 15 is 85, 5 thousand). A similar trend, albeit less pronounced, is observed in the Jerusalem District, which has a median age of 23.7 years (due to the predominance of children relative to older people), and to some extent in the north and south of the country. For the center of the country and the Haifa District, the opposite trend is characteristic - the median age in the Tel Aviv District in 2002 was 33 years. In terms of the number of children, Tel Aviv District is noticeably inferior to Jerusalem in percentage terms. However, in the age groups 20 and older, there is an opposite relationship between the two districts. The number of people between the ages of 25 and 29 is 9.13% of the population of Tel Aviv and the surrounding area (in the Jerusalem District - 7.6%). The number of residents aged 75 and over in Tel Aviv District is 7.23% of the total population, in Jerusalem District - 3.4%. In 2002, a significantly larger number of people aged 75 and over (47 thousand) lived in the Haifa District than in the Southern District (33.7 thousand). For this reason, the median age in Haifa District was 30.6 years.
The total fertility rate (the average number of children born to one woman in her lifetime) has been steadily declining in Israel throughout its history. In 2002, the total fertility rate was 2.89, and it was the same in 2001. Thus, in comparison with 2000 (2.95), a decrease in the total fertility rate was observed in the next two years. In 1980–84. the fertility rate in Israel reached 3.13, and in 1960–64. - 3.85. This trend is typical for both the Jewish and Muslim population of the country. Despite the fact that in 2002 the fertility rate in the Jewish sector (2.64) was significantly lower than among the Muslim population (4.58), in both cases there is a decrease (in 1980-84 the ratio between Jewish and Muslim population was 2.8 to 5.54). It is noteworthy that over the next five years there was a sharp decrease in the fertility rate among the Muslim population (from 5.54 to 4.7 in 1985-89), while among the Jewish population it remained practically unchanged (2.79 in 1985-89). .). The total number of children born in Israel in 2002 was 139,535, of which 71,318 were boys and 68,217 were girls. The average age of a Jewish mother is 29.4 years, and of a Muslim mother is 27.3 years.
In 2002, the average life expectancy for the Jewish male population in Israel was 77.9 years, and for the female - 81.6 years, that is, more than in all previous years since the founding of the state. For example, in 1995 the average life expectancy of the Jewish male population was 75.9, and that of the female - 79.8; in 1980 - respectively 72.1 and 76.2. Thus, between 1980 and 2002, the average life expectancy of both male and female Jewish populations increased by more than five years. The Arab population throughout the history of the State of Israel was characterized by slightly lower rates: in 2002, the average life expectancy among men was 74.5, and among women - 77.8. However, the average life expectancy among the Arab population has increased by 27 years since the founding of the state.
As of 2002, a total of 3,241,000 men and 3,328,000 women lived in Israel. However, in different age groups, the quantitative ratio between the sexes is unevenly distributed. Up to the age of 39, the number of men exceeds the number of women, although the difference is constantly decreasing. In 2002, 70,400 boys and 67,000 girls were born in the country (including 47,900 boys and 45,600 girls in the Jewish sector). In the age group of children under four years of age in Israel, there were 346 thousand boys and 328 thousand girls; in the 15-19 age group, the male population still predominates (289 thousand to 274 thousand). However, between the ages of 30 and 34, the number of men and women becomes approximately equal (228 thousand men and 227 thousand women), while the opposite trend appears in the age groups over 35. The most noticeable predominance of the female population is observed in the older age groups - aged 65 to 69 years (86 thousand men to 105 thousand women), from 70 to 74 years (71.7 thousand men to 93.6 thousand women). women) and so on. At the same time, the ratio of the male and female population of different age groups in the Jewish and Muslim sectors is somewhat different. Among the Jewish population, the predominance of men persists only until the age of 30 (at 32, the ratio becomes equal: 33.9 thousand of both men and women). And then the quantitative ratio begins to gradually change in favor of women. If between the ages of 15 and 19 there were 216 thousand Jewish men in Israel, and only 205 thousand for women, then between the ages of 45 and 49 the ratio changed: 150.3 thousand men and 161.4 thousand women. Whereas among Muslims, the predominance of men persists until the age of 64, and only then the opposite trend begins to appear. In total, according to the 2002 census, 520.6 thousand men and 500.8 thousand women belonging to the Muslim community lived in Israel. In contrast to the Muslim community, the Christian Arabs, like the Jews, have a predominance of the female population - 68.2 thousand men and 71.3 thousand women - and the trend towards a gradual increase in the female population relative to the male is beginning to appear. from about 40 years old.
Repatriation to Israel entailed a departure from the traditional way of life of the family (large families, staying of adult single children under parental shelter, early marriage and early first childbirth, the employment of women mainly in the household) in those communities where this way of life still persisted (immigrants from Asia and Africa and to some extent from Eastern and Central Europe). Among immigrants from Europe and America, the patriarchal structure of the family is preserved only in orthodox religious groups. Thus, the number of families with seven or more people in relation to the total number of Jewish households (including households of single individuals) throughout the history of the State of Israel has been steadily decreasing: in 1970 - 11.4%, in 1985 - 8.2%, in 1998 - 6.3%, and in 2001 it reached a record low level - 5.9% of the total. At the same time, if we consider only the Jewish population, the percentage of large families (seven or more people) turns out to be significantly lower - 3.6% in 2002, while the number of single households among the Jewish population is more than three times higher than the rest the population of Israel (19.7% and 6%, respectively). Among the Arab population, the share of single households in 2002 was 4.7%, while the number of families of seven people or more was 22.2% of the total (among the entire non-Jewish population, there were 18.6% of such families). In 2002, out of 1565.6 thousand Jewish families, 283.6 thousand were childless families, that is, 18.1% of the total number. Among the Arab population, this figure is significantly lower - 16.6 thousand out of 236.8 thousand families (7%).
In 2002, there were 136.5 thousand single-parent families in Israel, of which 115.6 thousand were in the Jewish sector. Of the total number of single Jewish parents, 50.1 thousand were natives of Israel, 22.8 thousand were natives of Asia or Africa, and 42.6 thousand were natives of Europe or America. It should be noted that almost a quarter of the families of repatriates are incomplete. The total number of single mothers in 2002 was 121.2 thousand, while fathers - 15.3 thousand. The number of single-parent families with children under the age of 17 totaled 98.3 thousand, of which 42 thousand are families, consisting of four or more people.
| General number | Men, never consisted of married | Men who are or were previously married | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General number | Married | Is- data | Widowers | |||
| All population | 2180,2 | 738,6 | 1441,6 | 1306,1 | 84,8 | 50,7 |
| Jews | 1758,4 | 583,4 | 1175,0 | 1049,7 | 77,9 | 47,4 |
| Muslims | 275,8 | 105,6 | 170,3 | 166,1 | 2,4 | 1,7 |
| Christians | 46,7 | 17,2 | 29,5 | 28,2 | 0,7 | 0,6 |
| Druze | 33,5 | 12,9 | 20,6 | 20,1 | 0,2 | 0,3 |
| General number | Women, never consisted of married | Women who are or were previously married | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General number | Married | Is- data | Widows | |||
| All population | 2310,9 | 605,0 | 1705,9 | 1303,9 | 158,1 | 243,9 |
| Jews | 1883,3 | 483,6 | 1399,7 | 1038,6 | 143,5 | 217,6 |
| Muslims | 267,8 | 81,2 | 186,6 | 165,9 | 5,8 | 14,9 |
| Christians | 50 | 14,4 | 35,6 | 29,6 | 1,1 | 4,9 |
| Druze | 32,2 | 10,0 | 22,1 | 19,9 | 0,5 | 1,8 |
It should be noted that although the overall percentage of unmarried men is lower than the percentage of unmarried women (see table), this ratio has developed solely due to the greater number of widows and divorced women. If we take into account only those who have never been married, then the opposite trend is observed. In this case, the percentage of unmarried women would be 26.2%, while the percentage of unmarried men would be 33.9%.
Of the total number of men in the Arab sector (275.8 thousand) in 2000, 105 thousand were unmarried and 170 thousand were married. At the same time, the number of unmarried men among the Arab population almost coincided with the number of men who were never married (39.8% and 38.3%), which indicates an extremely small (relative to the total number) number of divorced and widowers. Among Arab women, there are more significant differences in this respect, although less than in the Jewish sector: 38% of unmarried women and 30% of never married.
In 2001, 38,924 marriages were concluded in Israel and 11,164 divorces were registered. The marriage rate remains high, despite a slight decline, attributable to both the change in the age composition of the Jewish population (general aging) and later marriage. So, in 2001, the marriage rate among the Jewish population was 5.9 (per thousand people), while in 1996–99 it was 5.9 percent. it was 6.2. In addition, there is an increase in the divorce rate: in 1982 - 1.3, in 1996–99. - 1.8, in 2001 - 2.0. Among the Muslim population, the divorce rate in 2002 was significantly lower (1.1), while the marriage rate was much higher than that of the Jews (8.1). It should be noted that among the Christian population in 2001 there were very low rates of both marriages and divorces (4.4 and 0.3, respectively), although the general trend is the same as in other sectors (in 1996-99. the divorce rate was 0.2 and the marriage rate was 5.9). In 2001, the average age of a Jewish bride was 25.9 years, and that of a Jewish groom was 28.8 years. For comparison: in 1980, the average age of brides and grooms among the country's Jewish population was 22.8 and 27.3, respectively. Thus, the average age at marriage has increased for both women and men, which is associated with an increase in the social and economic status of women in Israeli society and with a general tendency in Western countries to create a family later. The same trend, albeit less pronounced, is observed in the Muslim and Christian communities.
The Jewish population of Israel is characterized by a consistent increase in the number of people who received higher education. So, in 1960, the number of people studying in higher educational institutions (in the sum with secondary education for 13 years of study and more) was only 9.9% of the total population over 15 years old. In 1980, there were already 24.4% of such people, and in 2001 - 42.2% of the total. The median number of years of schooling increased from 8.4 in 1960 to 11.1 in 1980 and to 12.6 in 2001.Along with this, the number of people with less than nine years of schooling in their assets decreased significantly (in 1960 - 55.5%, in 1980 - 31.6%, in 2001 - 11.2%). It should be noted that in the field of higher education there is a tendency towards leveling the differences between men and women. The percentage of people who received their first academic degree (after three to four years of study at a higher educational institution) in 2001 among men was slightly lower than among women - 22.1% and 23.6%, respectively. However, among the holders of the second and third academic degrees, the ratio changes, albeit insignificantly, in favor of men: among women, their number in 2001 was 18.3%, and among men - 19.5%. A similar trend has emerged only in the last decade, since among women aged 25 to 34 years, the owners of the second and third degrees make up (according to 2001 data) 29.2% compared to 26.1% among men. In all age groups over 35, the number of people who have studied for a total of 16 years or more, in percentage terms, among men is greater than among women.
| Age | Number of years of study | Median number years of study | Number of students (thousand people) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 5–8 | 9–10 | 11–12 | 13–15 | 16+ | |||
| 15–17 | - | 2,4 | 44,6 | 52,2 | 0,3 | - | 11,1 | 259,8 |
| 18–24 | 0,2 | 1,2 | 3,3 | 63,5 | 27,7 | 4,1 | 12,4 | 587,1 |
| 25–34 | 0,9 | 1,7 | 4,4 | 34,5 | 30,8 | 27,7 | ||
Hello dear friends. Do you know who the population of Israel consists of? Have you ever wondered - "What are they, Israelis?" If so, in this article I will try to give you a definition of the typical Israeli.
I will try to cover topics such as:
- Who is the population of Israel made of?
- What are they, the Israelites.
- How the Israelis behave.
- On what grounds can you distinguish Israelis from citizens of other countries?
- And much more ...
Why did I decide to write an article about the population of Israel, and in particular about the Israelis?
The fact is that every time, traveling with our family in different countries, upon arrival home, we begin to discuss together not only, but also the population of this or that country. For example:
How they dress, what they eat, whether they are hospitable and polite, how they drive cars, how they look, how they live, etc.
It's human nature to discuss other people behind their backs.
Being a tourist and being in the country for several days, it is impossible to objectively judge the population of different countries. In such a short period of time, it is simply impossible to understand their mentality, character, culture, attitude towards neighbors, personal interests, etc.
Unlike tourists, I have been living in Israel for 26 years! Here I studied at school and in college, served in the army, here I have been working in a large company for 16 years, it is here that I got married and have four children, every day I communicate with people from different layers of Israeli society. As you can imagine, I myself am already a typical Israeli and can reasonably argue on this topic.
After reading this article, it is possible that your ideas about Israelis will change dramatically, since they in no way correspond to all previously known stereotypes about Jews.
So let's go ...
As you all know, Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people. Despite the fact that many argue the opposite - the fact remains!
Yes, the population of Israel consists not only of Jews, but also of Arabs, Druze, Circassians, etc. But, nevertheless, 75% of Israelis are precisely Jews.
In addition, if you carefully and thoroughly delve into history, and not rely on false statements by anti-Semitic and radical organizations such as Hamas, Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Islamic Jihat and even the UN, then this can be proved very simply. Here's what Wikipedia says:
Quote from Wikipedia that Israel is bequeathed to the Jews by God
Well, how can you argue with that?
As I said, not only Jews live in Israel, therefore all permanent residents of the country are Israelis, but since they are a minority, this article will mainly talk about Israelis and Jews.
Who is the population of Israel made of? Or a brief history of immigration to Israel
Despite the fact that God bequeathed the land of Israel to the Jews, the ancient Jews could not linger on it for a long time. From time immemorial, Israel was occupied by various powers, empires and mandates (Persians, Romans, Macedonians, Turks, Arabs, British, etc.).
The pogroms and expulsions of Jews from their historically legitimate land were considered « normal» phenomenon. Accordingly, the Jewish people fled to different parts of the world. But the fate of the Jewish people remains unchanged, and the persecution of the Jews by the Christian Church has forced many to return to the Promised Land.
The first great wave of immigration began in 1881, when Jews were forced to flee pogroms in Eastern Europe.
The next three waves of immigration occurred in the early 1920s, also from Europe. This happened due to a surge in anti-Semitism and Nazi ideology.
Until the early 1950s, Israel consisted primarily of Eastern Europeans and Arabs from the original.
In the early 1950s, a new wave of Jewish immigration poured in, but this time it came from the countries of North Africa and the Middle East (Western Asia).
The pogroms of Jews in these countries turned out to be no less brutal than in Europe.
And of course, the largest wave of repatriation took place in the early 90s.
Almost a million Jews immigrated to Israel from 1990 to the present day from the CIS countries. Thank God, the reason for this repatriation was not related to the pogroms.
After this history lesson, we can understand who the people of Israel are made up of.
So, roughly speaking, the population of Israel is divided in this way:
- Jews - 75%
- Arabs - 20%
- National minorities (Circassians, Druze, Armenians, etc.) - 5%
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, the population of Israel at the beginning of 2017 is 8 million 615 thousand human.
Of them 1 million 792 thousand Arabs, 6 million 440 thousand Jews and 384 thousand the rest of the minorities.
Jewish population of Israel - who are they and how many are they?
The Jewish community of Israel consists mainly of immigrants from Europe, South America, Western Asia and Africa.
- Almost 11% of Jews came from African and Middle Eastern countries, for example: Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Algeria, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Ethiopia, India - 692 thousand.
- Almost 15% of Jews came from the countries of the former Soviet Union and the CIS - 900 thousand.
- Almost 10% came from European countries (Romania, Poland, Hungary, France, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia) - 600 thousand.
- And almost 3% of Jews repatriated from South American countries (Argentina, Mexico, Chilli, Brazil, etc.) - 190 thousand.
- More than four million Jews were born in Israel and are considered the native inhabitants of the country, but the vast majority are descendants of immigrants.
Arab population in Israel
Israeli Arabs are divided into two ethno-confessional groups:
- Muslims (Sunites and Bedouins)
- Christians
The number of Muslim Arabs is 1 million 400 thousand man and only 125 thousand people are Arabs Christians.
There are also many Druze living in Israel, and their number is more than 100 000 human.
Can you identify a typical Israeli?
Now that you know who the Israeli people are made of, you can try to draw a typical Israeli.
This will be incredibly difficult to do, since all Israelis are different, opposite to each other, and this is not surprising. Indeed, more than fifty different nations and peoples live in Israel, with different customs and cultures, with different temperaments, upbringing and mentality, with different thinking and reasoning.
In connection with the above facts, a logical question arises: "How, in this case, Israel can remain united, strong, and most importantly a beloved state for the overwhelming majority of Israelis?"
I do not know how to answer this question, but I can assume that this is most likely due to high motivation, patriotism, Zionism and Jewish ideology. After all, they finally got their long-awaited independent country.
Israelis Jews are not Uncle Izya and Aunt Rosa from jokes
Ever since the days of the Soviet Union, there has been a certain stereotype of a true Jew.
We all remember anecdotes about Jews, in which Uncle Izya and Aunt Rosa, Monya and Sarochka, Efim Moiseevich and Sofochka communicate. By the way, here is one such anecdote for you:
A Jew must be squishy, small in stature, with a large nose, beard, side-by-side, Odessa accent, etc. Therefore, most likely you are assuming that such types live in Israel.
In fact, there is some truth in this stereotype, but it is negligible.
The Israelis practically do not fit the description of the stereotypical Odessa Jew and now you will understand why ...
Israel, the land of parallel worlds! Or who are the Ashkenazi and Mizrahim
For a relatively long time, the Jewish Israeli society was divided into two communities, as it were.
- Mizrahim - Sephardi (Jews immigrating from North Africa and the Middle East).
- Ashkenazim (Jews immigrating from European countries).
These two communities are fundamentally different from each other in all respects, for example: education, mentality, political views, temperament, modesty, intelligentsia, ethnic and national culture, music style and appearance.
At the moment, there are practically no conflicts between these communities, but from the 50s to the 80s, the conflict was so critical that the young state of Israel was on the brink of a crisis.
I will not go into details now, since this article is about something else, but if you are very interested, then follow this link.
To put it bluntly, the culture and mentality of the Ashkenazim (Europeans) is very similar to the Soviet one, for example: attitude towards neighbors, the level of the intelligentsia, modesty, style of music, appearance, etc.
Mizrahim (African and Eastern Jews), in their eastern essence, are much more hot-tempered, loud, temperamental, etc.
Despite the fact that there are more European Jews in Israel than Eastern Jews, it was Mizrahim who set their own specific oriental tone, thanks to which you can recognize a typical Israeli anywhere in the world. And now I will finally tell you what kind of Israelis they are.
Typical Israelis - what they are
In this section I will try to describe for you a typical Israeli.
In my essence, I believe that generalizing the whole people is wrong and not fair, accordingly, everything that you will see now cannot in any way apply to the entire population of Israel's Jews, but on the other hand, you will be able to have a general idea of the character of the Israelis and be mentally prepared when meeting with them.
So let's go ...
22 signs that make it easy to identify a typical Israelite
Open soul and heart
- Israelis are people who can stop a woman with a stroller on a winter day to wake her baby up to put on a hat.
- The Israelis are very nervous and impolite, but at the same time they are ready to help any person at any moment, even when it is pouring rain or complete darkness outside. They will not be disturbed by the fact that they are in a great hurry at that moment.
- The Israelis are the only people in the world who kiss when they meet a barely familiar person and do not understand why he frowns and is embarrassed because of this.
- The Israelis say goodbye for a long time, hugging and kissing with promises that they will definitely continue to keep in touch, although they know in advance that they will meet again in two days.
- Israelis are too open and outgoing people. They will easily stick into someone else's conversation on the street in order to give advice from the heart.
Lack of upbringing, impoliteness and arrogance
Sincere love for the homeland and nation
- Israelis check the Nobel Prize nominations list year after year, solely to see if Jewish names are on the list.
- Israelis are often dissatisfied with the standard of living in the country, but at the same time they call "anti-Semites" anyone who denigrates her, especially if he is not a Jew.
- As far as I know, the Israelis are the only people who always applaud the pilot loudly when the plane lands after returning from abroad to the Promised Land.
- Paradox - about 25% of Israelis evade military service, but in the event of war or other hostilities, they are ready to go into battle first.
This can only be in Israel
I will summarize
A typical Israeli is smart, cocky, self-confident, knows more than anyone else, funny, loving life, loving his country, hating his country, very close to his family, sympathetic, kind, rude, ill-mannered, resourceful, in short - everything, except boring!!!
You may have noticed that in the article I did not mention ultra-Orthodox Jews at all. I did this on purpose, because I believe that the topic associated with ultra-Orthodox Jews is very extensive and deserves a separate full-fledged article. So if you are interested in this topic, then you will have to wait a bit.
That's all.
Friends, tell me in the comments how you envisioned the Israelis?
On this I say goodbye to you and see you again.
By the size of the occupied area, Israel is on the one hundred and forty-eighth line among other countries, but this does not prevent it from being one of the most developed in the world. The economic model of the modern Jewish state was created with an eye to the United States and Western Europe, but taking into account local difficulties and challenges.
Palestine under British Mandate
The first Zionists, whose main task was to create a sovereign Jewish state in Palestine, appeared at the end of the nineteenth century, and already at the beginning of the twentieth century, when the opportunity fell, the supporters of Zionism launched an active offensive.
The first opportunity to take on the creation of Israel came during the First World War, when Britain entered it. The Zionists created the "Jewish Legion", which fought on the side of the British against the Ottoman Empire, which ruled the Palestinian land for more than four centuries.
After the defeat of the Sublime Port in the war, Palestine came under the control of the British Empire, but the government was in no hurry with the transfer of Arab lands to the Jews, considering all possible options.
Meanwhile, the number of Jews from Europe arriving in Palestine has increased, and this, in turn, has caused an increase in protest moods among the Arab population, especially the young. Riots began.
State creation
The rule of the British authorities in the mandated territory lasted for almost thirty years and at the end of this rule in Palestine all possible contradictions intensified. And in 1947, unable to resolve them, the British abandoned their mandate.
Thus, all the conditions were created for the long-standing dream of the Jewish people of their own safe home to finally come true, and a year later, in August 1948, the declaration of independence of the Jewish state was adopted. But the area of Israel at that time had not yet been determined.
Immediately after the proclamation of Israel's sovereignty, the aggravation of the long-standing Arab-Israeli conflict followed. Researchers agree that the armed clashes that began in 1947 smoothly turned into a war that ended only in 1949. In Jewish historiography, these events are interpreted as the Israeli War of Independence.
The events that unfolded in these two years are called the "Catastrophe" by the Arabs, as more than six hundred thousand Arabs became refugees. At the same time, as a result of the wave of unbridled violence that swept through the neighboring Arab countries, almost eight hundred thousand Jews were forced to flee to the newly created state.
A series of wars as a process of the formation of a new state
Unfortunately, this conflict was far from the last in the history of the State of Israel. It is worth saying here that the main goal of the numerous conflicts that followed was to reduce the area of Israel and the population of the new state. The same motives will become the engine of the modern Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
However, despite the rather aggressive attempts of Arab neighbors to destroy the Republic of Israel, the area of Israel only increased, although many states did not support this expansion.
Most modern researchers tend to divide Israel's conflict with its neighbors into two stages. The first includes, as a rule, all conflicts, from the war of independence to the signing of agreements in Oslo in 1993, when the National Palestinian Authority was created, which was supposed to eventually turn into a sovereign state.
Thus, far from all the requirements of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which had fought for the destruction of Israel for a long time, the area and territory of which, in the opinion of its fighters, belonged to the Arabs, were satisfied. Let's figure it out further.
Area and population of Israel
Israel's expansionist behavior stems from the apparent lack of land and water resources in the region, as well as ongoing pressure from many Islamic states.
For 2017, the area of Israel in sq. km is equal to 22 million. This is a very modest figure, which, coupled with the aggressive behavior of neighbors, makes the daily life of the civilian population difficult.
However, although the Jewish state was created from scratch, the first settlers had experience and knowledge behind their backs that were useful to them in farming on the new land.
Illegal settlements
However, it would be wrong to believe that military force is the only means of advancing Israeli interests. The other most important means of pressure on the Palestinian Authority, and at the same time the most controversial method of increasing Israel's area, remains the construction of settlements in the occupied territories.
Numerous settlements and new residential areas began to be built under the pretext of providing Israeli citizens with housing. However, international experts insist that the only reason is the government's desire to seize more land and create unbearable living conditions for the Palestinians.
State demography
Israel's area and population have grown steadily since independence.
Of the eight million three hundred thousand people currently living in the state, Jews constitute an absolute majority, reaching 74%. The second largest group is the Arabs.
Despite the fact that the majority of Arabs living in Israel today have the citizenship of the republic, they did not manage to achieve this right immediately after the declaration of independence by the Jewish state. The first Arab residents who found themselves in the occupied territory were either evicted, or fled, or remained on their lands, without acquiring the rights of a citizen.
Such a sad situation is connected with the fact that the Declaration of Independence of Israel directly states that the state is created for the Jewish people.
Geography and ecology
The area of the modern state of Israel is 22 million square meters. km, and a significant part of the country's territory lies below sea level, in an arid climate, devoid of significant regular precipitation.
In such conditions, agriculture becomes risky, the harvest is unpredictable, and the costs are significant. But, despite all the difficulties, the Israelis managed to create one of the most developed food industries. Technology is, of course, critical in this endeavor.
It is thanks to the importance the government attaches to technological development that it has been possible to significantly increase Israel's agricultural areas, as well as improve the efficiency of land cultivation.
Water resources of Israel
The region in which Israel is located is known for its extremely hot climate, significant amounts of solar radiation and negligible rainfall. This state of affairs significantly complicates not only agriculture, but also the supply of large cities with sufficient water.
The largest freshwater body of the country is Lake Kinneret, which is mentioned both in the Bible and in much earlier texts. The first people settled on its banks in the early Bronze Age.
Since most of Israel's area is made up of deserts and semi-deserts, Lake Kinneret is of particular value from an economic point of view. It is being actively exploited. In the lake, fish are caught on an industrial scale, water is taken for agriculture and domestic use.
Such active exploitation cannot but affect the state of the lake, and the water level in it has begun to drop noticeably lately.
Israel population
Conventionally, the entire population of the country can be divided into two parts - Jews and Arabs. They moved to Eretz Israel at different times and eras, and Jewish immigration (in Israel they say: aliyah , which means "ascent") continues to this day and will undoubtedly continue, since most of the Jews still live in the countries diasporas (scattering).
During the excursions, the guides will quickly teach you how to distinguish between Jewish and Arab settlements. Regardless of the minarets, national dress and all that, their appearance is really impossible to confuse. If only because all Arab houses have flat roofs, which often seem incomplete (traditionally, it is customary to leave the option for adding the next floor). Moreover, among the modest huts you will see many luxurious mansions that are in no way inferior to the villas in the respectable Jewish quarters.
Jewish population Israel's 75.9 percent (up from 82 percent ten years ago) is categorized by country of origin. In the Promised Land, they found not only their state, but also revived the ancient language - Hebrew, uniting them into a single people.
Approximately half of the country's Jewish population is Ashkenazi
- Jews from the Eastern, Central and most 
Western Europe, North America, South Africa and Australia. Their language was Yiddish or the language of their country of residence. Ashkenazi Jews began to move to Eretz Yisrael in the 17th century during the Ottoman Empire and settled in four holy cities: Jerusalem, Hebron, Tiberias and Safed. At the time of the formation of the State of Israel, Ashkenazim made up about 85% of the Jewish population, but in the 50s the mass repatriation of Jews from Arab countries significantly reduced this percentage, and only the aliyah of the 90s from the former USSR brought the balance back to its current state.
A much smaller group is Sephardim - Jews from Spain and Portugal (Spain in Hebrew - Sfarad). The Sephardim arrived in Eretz Yisrael after their expulsion from Spain in the 15th century. The Sephardic language is Ladino (a dialect of Spanish). Sephardic people also include people from the countries of North Africa: Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, who speak one of the dialects of the Arabic language.
The appearance of dark-skinned Israelis often puzzles tourists. We must not forget that not only Jews by origin, but also those who profess Judaism can become full-fledged residents of the country. Guides like to talk about the inhabitants of a Russian village who moved here a long time ago from central Russia and still maintain their customs and habitual way of life.
A very large group of the Jewish population includes oriental Jews who came to the country from different Arab states. Their ancestors were once taken into Babylonian captivity and took root in the places of their exile. Many still have the Aramaic language (for example, Jews from Kurdistan).
Almost in full force the Jewish communities of Yemen and Iraq moved to Israel. Persian Jews came from Iran, Bukhara, the mountainous regions of the Caucasus and Afghanistan. After the creation of the State of Israel, almost all Kurdish Jews who lived in northern Iraq, southern regions of Turkey and northwestern Iran (the territory of the former Assyria) arrived in the country. Some of the Jews moved from India and Ethiopia.
Almost a quarter of Israel's population is made up of those who are called Israeli Arabs ... In fact, this is a number of communities (and not only Arab), speaking the Arabic language, with different lifestyles, traditions and history. There are adherents of Christianity among them, but the overwhelming majority of them are Muslims who came from neighboring Arab countries and settled here in various historical eras. We dwell on this in detail in order to dispel the popular perception among tourists of the Israeli Arabs as a kind of "local population" (like the American Indians), oppressed by Jewish enslavers.
The Arabs captured Eretz Yisrael in the first half of the 7th century, at the same time the process of "Islamization" and "Arabization" of the local population began. In the Middle Ages, over 250 years of the Crusaders' rule, many Europeans settled here, immigrants from Germany, Austria, England, France, Italy: warriors, pilgrims, merchants, or even just poor people who were looking for a better life across the sea. After the fall of the crusaders' rule, they converted to Islam and became part of the country's population.
Moved to the Promised Land and fought with the crusaders mamluks - Egyptian mercenary soldiers, mainly of Arab origin, exported from Central Asia and the Caucasus. Later, when Eretz Yisrael was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, the composition of the settlers became even more variegated: Bosnians, Albanians, Bulgarians, Serbs, Abkhazians, Bedouins, Kurds ...
The intensive movement of Arabs to Eretz Yisrael continued in the 19th century with the emergence of the first Jewish settlements. It acquired a special scope during the period of the British Mandate, when the immigration of Arabs to the country was not limited by anything and sometimes exceeded the Jewish aliyah.
Israeli Arabs are full citizens of modern Israel. The Arabic language is the second state language of the country, deputies elected by the Arab population represent its interests in the Knesset. Muslim clergy and a Muslim court function in the country, new mosques are being built and old mosques are being restored under the auspices of the Ministry of Religions. Islamic holidays are officially considered non-working days for Muslims. Israeli radio and television broadcasts programs in Arabic. The basics of Islam are taught in public Arab schools.
True, there is one limitation: the Arabs, just in case, are exempted from military service.
Approximately 10% of the Arab Muslim population is bedouins - nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes living in the deserts of the Negev, Arava, in the Judean desert and in Galilee. You will certainly meet with them during your trip: drinking coffee in a Bedouin tent and riding a camel are common tourist attractions. In fact, now there are not so many Bedouins who prefer to live in camel wool tents and wander endlessly in the desert far from civilization. Some have already settled in the villages, along with traditional cattle breeding, they are engaged in agriculture and crafts. However, camel breeding is also a very profitable activity: each one costs thousands of dollars, which allows owners to purchase more modern means of transportation. You can often see a completely modern jeep at the Bedouin tent, in which the head of the family has just arrived from the city.
True, we saw another picture: empty villages, built specifically for the Bedouins, but not really inhabited by modern nomads. The age-old wanderlust is not easy to overcome.
In the villages of the Lower and Upper Galilee live Circassians - Sunni Muslims who came from the Caucasus. They arrived in Palestine at the end of the 19th century during the rule of the Turks. Circassians are considered skillful and brave warriors and, probably, that is why the right to serve in the Israel Defense Forces was entrusted to them from the first days of the state's existence.
A separate group of the population are druses ... Most of them live in Lebanon and Syria, but some have settled in northern Israel, in the Galilee mountains, in the Carmel mountain range and in the Golan Heights. Their secret religion arose at the beginning of the 11th century in Egypt and led to the separation of the Druze from Islam. For this, the Druze were constantly persecuted, which forced them to settle in remote mountainous areas.
Little is still known about the Druze religion. They believe in one God and believe that he is consistently incarnated in seven righteous people: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad and Muhammad ibn Ismail. The latter was a Fatimid caliph who lived at the beginning of the 11th century. Each of the seven righteous people complements the teaching that his predecessors revealed to people. Druze believe in transmigration of souls. Polygamy is prohibited with them. Marriages are only possible within a religious group, of which one can only be born.
In one of the "northern" excursions, a visit to a Druze village is included in the program. The guides will tell you in detail about the customs and traditions of this unusual people, invite you to the house, where the hospitable hosts arrange mini-shows for tourists, demonstrate to them the old methods of baking cakes and other curious things. The Druze speak Arabic and Hebrew. Reliable soldiers, they carry compulsory military service.
Among the Israelis who profess Christianity (and there are just over two percent of the population), Arabs constitute the absolute majority. They speak Arabic, and in their customs and appearance, they also hardly differ from Muslim Arabs. When visiting Nazareth during a tour of the Christian Galilee, you will find yourself in a purely Arab city (Jews live in another part of it, called Nazareth Illit) and see for yourself.
Christians Israel belongs to four main churches: Catholic, Orthodox, Monophysite, and Protestant. The largest of these is the Catholic Church, which includes a number of Eastern churches that recognize the primacy of the Pope.
The second largest is the Orthodox Church, within which the Greek stands out, headed by the Patriarch. The Orthodox Church also includes the Russian spiritual mission of the Moscow Patriarchate, founded in 1874, headed by the Archimandrite.
The Monophysite church has only a few thousand parishioners. She is represented in Israel by the Armenian Apostolic Church. It also includes Copts, Yakovite Syrians and Ethiopians.
The fewest among Israeli Christians are adherents of the Protestant Church, but they are also present.
The state treats the Christian religion with no less respect than Islam. Israel recognizes autonomy in the internal affairs of Christian communities, which extends to the administration of the holy places in their possession, to school education for Christian children, and to legal proceedings. Sundays and Christian holidays are officially considered non-working for Christians in Israel.
Of course, there are many people in Israel who do not belong to any of the religious confessions, which is very typical, for example, for immigrants from the former Soviet Union, brought up within the framework of the communist ideology. And of our compatriots in Israel, hardly a sixth of the population consists.
The first few years of new immigrants are called olim khodashim ... For them, there are various benefits that help (albeit to a lesser extent every year) to withstand the most difficult period of getting used to new life circumstances. But the main task of every olim is to master Hebrew, without the confident knowledge of which it is practically impossible to build a new life.
Having lived in the country for 12-15 years, Israeli citizens go to the category vatikim ... Usually by this time they are already firmly on their feet, receive a local education, decent work, acquire the basic elements of everyday well-being (apartment, car, etc.). The only thing that by definition is not available to them is to become sabrom ... So they call only the natives of the country who did not know other Homelands.
Since the last Independence Day, the population of Israel has grown by 162 thousand people - by 2%. 176 thousand babies were born and 44 thousand people died. During the year, 32 thousand persons with the right to repatriation were repatriated to the country.
The country's Jewish population growth rate continues to lag behind that of the Arab population. Last year, these indicators were 1.8% and 2.2%, respectively.
The number of men and women in the country is approximately equal, the difference is tenths of a percent. Life expectancy has not changed significantly in recent years. For men, it is 79.9 years, for women - 83.6 years. Over the past 35 years, the average life expectancy has increased by 8.7 years, which indicates, among other things, the high level of Israeli health care.
Currently, about 75% of Israel's residents are local natives, up from 35% in 1948.
About 1,500,000 Israelis speak Russian and come from the countries of the former USSR.
If in 1948 there was only one city in the country (Tel Aviv) with a population of over 100 thousand people, today there are 14 such cities, and six cities are Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Rishon LeZion, Petah Tikva, Ashdod - have more than 200 thousand inhabitants.
16.5% of Israeli citizens live in Tel Aviv and another 24% in the central districts. 16.5% of citizens live in the north, 14% - in the south. Jerusalem and Haifa (with the suburbs) each have 12% of the population, and about 4% in Judea and Samaria.
The population of Israel is relatively young: residents under 14 years old make up 28.2%, and over 65 years old - 10.4%. People over the age of 75 - 4.8%.
CSB clarifies that only 9% of Israel's population consider themselves Orthodox, 10% - religious, 23% - observing traditions and 43% - secular people.
