Mr. Alanzisser, demographics plays a huge role in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
In 1948, when Israel was established, 806,000 Jews and 950,000 Arabs were living in in the British colonial mandate known as Palestine. Clearly, the Palestinian population kept a Jewish Democracy out of reach. During the 1948-49 war, between 625,000 and 750,000 Arabs were displaced and refused the right to return to their homeland in Palestine. These displaced people are what is commonly known as the Palestinian refugee population.
Unfortunately, Israel has made no progress towards reconciling the moral, cultural, and political conflicts inherent in a Jewish-Democracy. Demographics remains the stumbling block and that is the reason, I corrected your numbers.
The Jewish Chronicle’s story, Israel at 75: Demographics of Israel tell us their own remarkable story offers you more insight into the demographic issues at hand.
