The population of Jewish settlements in the West Bank surged by more than 3% in 2019, well above the growth rate of Israel's overall population, a settler group said Tuesday. It predicted even higher growth this year thanks to a nascent building boom made possible by friendly policies of the Trump administration.
The data, released ahead of President Donald Trump's long-awaited peace plan, indicate that evacuating settlements is no longer a viable option for international peacemakers, said Baruch Gordon, director of West Bank Jewish Population Stats.
"We're here and we're not going anywhere," he said.