Jerusalem’s Arab population – which already accounts for more than 40% of the total – is growing by 3.5% annually, compared to 1.5% among Israelis. Once this sizeable swath of voters begins participating in municipal elections – which they have so far avoided, lest they be viewed as legitimizing Israeli rule – control of the city council is likely to pass to a Palestinian majority.
问题在于不可能在严肃的以巴谈判中提出这一建议。耶路撒冷的阿拉伯人口——占总人口的40%以上——每年以3.5%的速度增长，而以色列人口的增长速度只有1.5%。当如此比例的人口结构作用于市政选举时——目前仍没有举行过，唯恐给以色列的统治落下合法的口实——耶路撒冷市议会很有可能落入巴勒斯坦多数之手。