JERUSALEM (JTA) — Jews and Palestinans living in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza will reach equal numbers by 2016, according to a new study.
The data was released Wednesday by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics to mark the nakba, or catastrophe — the day on the Gregorian calendar that Israel achieved statehood.
The figures show that some 5.1 million people calling themselves Palestinians now live in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. There are 5.6 million Jews living in Israel.
According to the study, the Palestinian population grew from 1.4 million in 1948 to 10.6 million in 2008, including self-identified Palestinians, most of whom live in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
