Jewish population on the rise in West Bank Israel notes 5% gain in year, more arriving from Gaza after pullout

JERUSALEM -- As Israel basked in world admiration for pulling outof the Gaza Strip, new official figures Friday showed the Jewishpopulation of the West Bank is expanding rapidly, growing by morethan 12,000 in the last year.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made no secret of his desire to expandlarge West Bank settlement blocs even while withdrawing from areas hesays became untenable for Israel to hold.

According to Interior Ministry figures, the Jewish population ofthe West Bank in June stood at 246,000, an increase of 12,800, or 5percent, in one year.

Interior Ministry spokesman Gilad Heiman said the increase stemmedfrom births and an influx of new …