Demographics of Israel

According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2004, of Israel’s 6.9 million people, 76.2% were Jews, 19.5% Arabs, and 4.3% “others".

Among Jews, 68% were Sabras (Israeli-born), mostly second or third generation Israelis, and the rest are olim - 22% from Europe and the Americas, and 10% from Asia and Africa, including the Arab countries.[5]

Israel has two official languages; Hebrew and Arabic (See also: Languages of Israel). Hebrew is the major and primary language of the state and is spoken by the majority of the population. Arabic is spoken by the large Arab minority and by some members of the Mizrahi and Teimani Jewish communities.

English is studied in school and is spoken by the majority of the population as a second language. Other languages spoken in Israel include Russian, Yiddish, Ladino, Romanian and French. American and European popular television shows are commonly presented. Newspapers can be found in all languages listed above as well as others, such as Farsi.

As of 2004, 224,200 Israeli citizens lived in the West Bank in numerous Israeli settlements, (including towns such as Ma’ale Adummim and Ariel, and a handful of communities that were present long before the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and were re-established after the Six-Day War such as Hebron and Gush Etzion).

Around 180,000 Israelis lived in East Jerusalem [6], which came under Israeli law following its capture from Jordan during the Six-Day War. About 8,500 Israelis lived in settlements built in the Gaza Strip, prior to their evacuation by the government in the summer of 2005 as part of Israel’s unilateral disengagement plan.