Despite Israel's argument that it is only accounting for "natural growth," more than 40 percent of the 12,000 new settlers in the West Bank and Gaza last year migrated from other areas, according to the statistics bureau. The population growth rate in the settlements is more than three times the total Israeli growth rate -- because of both migration and a high birth rate.
A settlement freeze would pose political difficulties for the rightist Sharon government. The roughly 220,000 settlers living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip comprise a strong base of support for the government, and the hardline majority in the Cabinet would likely torpedo any attempt to halt construction.
Most of the new homes, 530, were to be built in the ultra-Orthodox settlement of Beitar Illit outside of Jerusalem where more than 20,000 people live.
Expansion
The government is taking advantage of the needs of some Israelis to try to push its policy of settlement expansion, said Yariv Oppenheimer of Peace Now.
"If you have a large family and are Orthodox and you want to live in Jerusalem, it's very hard, it's very expensive. But if you want to live in Beitar Illit, this is the solution for you," he said.
Despite the government's arguments, it is still bound by the road map, Oppenheimer said.
"If the road map is dead, the Israeli government should tell the public they are not going to follow it. If it is still alive, they should keep it," he said.
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