ABSTRACT
The growth in the ideologically motivated settlements is slow even compared with the modest growth of 10 percent recorded between 1984–1986 in the massif areas. An analysis of ten larger Gush Emunim settlements show that total population growth in those settlements was 510 persons, including natural increase between 1984–1986. The crisis in Labor cooperative settlements in the Jordan Valley is apparent from the decrease of some 500 persons in that settlement area. Official sources claim that during 1984–1986 only three new settlements have been established. The main settlement construction activity, however, occurred in existing settlements and specifically in the 10 urban centres incorporated as local councils, and in semi-rural settlements situated in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem areas. Public investment in West Bank settlements remained very high relative to other areas, and reached, in some sectors 20–25 percent of total government development budgets. The priority given to West Bank settlements assumes disproportional dimensions, when regular public allocations are analyzed.
