Eastern Jerusalem: Split populace

JERUSALEM, May 28 (JTA) — The Jewish and Arab populations in areas of Jerusalem that were annexed by Israel in 1967 are nearly equal, according to a statistical study released this week. According to the annual study on Jerusalem, which was prepared jointly by the municipality and the Jerusalem Center for Israel Research, Arabs make up 52 percent of eastern Jerusalem, while Jews make up 48 percent. According to the study, Jerusalem continues to be the most densely populated Israeli city. The total population of the city in 1996 was 603,000 people, 422,000 of which were Jews, and 180,000 were Arabs and others. Projections for the year 2010 put the city’s population at 817,500 — with 251,000 Arabs and 214,000 fervently Orthodox Jews. The city also continued to lead in urban poverty. In 1995, 37 percent of children living in Jerusalem were under the poverty line, compared to 23.2 percent for all of Israel.