Jerusalem Demography History, Transitions, and Forecasts

The conflict over demography and geography is at the heart of the
Palestinian-Zionist conflict. During the last century, there have been shifts
in the status of Palestinian and Israeli demography, which have brought about
geopolitical changes, and swings in power relations and in the distribution
and control of resources. This study deals with the demographic projections
for the city of Jerusalem, in order to examine the city’s status within the
Palestinian-Zionist conflict. The article identifies the demographic conditions
in Jerusalem and analyzes the city’s national, ethnic, cultural, religious,
and geopolitical attributes. The relationship between demographics,
geography, and democracy, and how these considerations are employed in
spatial planning and resource control are also discussed. Forecasts for future
demographic trends and their projected consequences are argued by monitoring
and critically analyzing quantitative data collected from Palestinian and
Israeli sources, as well as by reviewing the literature, plans, and programs
shaping Jerusalem and its environs at present and for the foreseeable future.