How many Jews must live in Israel in order to put the demographic genie back in the bottle? On the eve of Rosh Hashana [Jewish New Year] 5774, more than 8 million people live in Israel, more than 6 million of them Jews. According to data published by the Israeli Central Bureau for Statistics, more than 75% of Israel’s citizens are Jews. A solid majority, a secure one, but not necessarily one that is sure of itself.
The demographic threat, real or imagined, continues to preoccupy this majority. The Jewish state is surrounded by people who are not Jewish and not friendly. The reserve of Jews in the world is not growing, and for most of them the likelihood of emigration is low. The Jews of Israel must rely on their own reproductive abilities if they wish to maintain the Jewish character of their state. And there is no doubt that this is what they want: A survey of the “Sampling Project” from 2011 showed that more than 70% of the Israeli public wants Israel to be “Jewish and democratic,” and that 14% would be satisfied if it were just Jewish. Another 14%, the vast majority of them Arabs, would want Israel just to be democratic.
