In Israel, birth rates are converging between Jews and Muslims
Religious Jews there have bucked the trend of falling fertility elsewhere
“If an israeli woman has fewer than three children, she feels as if she owes everyone an explanation—or an apology.” That, at any rate, is the view of a leading Israeli demographer. When she visits London she is struck by its dearth of toy shops. Israelis have many more children than their counterparts elsewhere in the rich world. Whereas the average Israeli woman has 2.9, her British and French peers have 1.6 and 1.8 respectively.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Go forth and multiply”
Discover more
America under Joe Biden plays the pragmatist in Africa
Donald Trump is likely to follow suit
New cures for Africa’s most gruesome diseases
Sleeping sickness, riverblindess and more could be tackled
Nigeria seeks to restore pride in its artefacts, ancient and modern
A new museum in Benin City will showcase “a cauldron of creativity”
Donald Trump’s new Arab pal
Will a Lebanese-American businessman influence the incoming administration in the region?
Israel and Hizbullah strike a fragile deal to end their war
Joe Biden makes a last push to bring peace to the Middle East
The arrest warrant is a diplomatic disaster for Netanyahu
But may also undermine the International Criminal Court