Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s recent speech to Israelis titled “Do Not Leave the State” has sparked significant internal reactions and revealed new statistical data on the increasing reverse migration from Israel and the growing number of emigrants.
The escalation of reverse migration from Israel has been highlighted, particularly after the outbreak of the war in Gaza. The announcement of new movements and associations with the slogan “Let’s Leave Together” has attracted tens of thousands of Jews, causing concern for Israel about losing the demographic majority to Palestinians.
This comes amid a decline in Jewish immigration from abroad, driven by fears of deteriorating security due to the war in Gaza.
Statistics on Reverse Migration from Israel
Bennett’s call, posted on the platform “X” on June 27, 2024, expressed Israel’s deep concerns about the consequences of citizens leaving the state. He admitted, “Israel is going through the hardest period since its establishment, with the confusion of war, international boycotts, weakened deterrence, 120 Israelis in captivity, thousands of bereaved families, thousands of displaced, loss of economic control, and deficit.”
He added, “All of this is true, but one thing worries me: the talk about leaving the country.”
The over one thousand comments on his post reveal the significant desire among Israelis to emigrate due to their loss of hope for a future in Israel.
A recent survey among Israelis showed that at least “one-fifth” are considering reverse migration, believing that Israel faces an existential threat.
While there are no official statistics on the number of Israelis who have left since the beginning of the Gaza war, estimates suggest that more than half a million Israelis have departed and not returned, nine months into the conflict.
More than 25% of adult Jews (over 18 years old) are seriously considering reverse migration, according to the study, with 6% having already begun practical steps to emigrate. Conversely, Jewish immigration to Israel has significantly declined by 70% since the war began.
Notably, in the first ten days of the war, from October 7 to 17, 2023, 140,000 people left Israel, with expectations of rising numbers as the war continues and tensions escalate on the northern front with Lebanon and ongoing clashes in the West Bank. These reasons were cited by Israeli families who emigrated.
Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority disclosed that nearly 1.7 million Israelis left in the first third of 2024, which might indicate a temporary escape due to security deterioration and a significant indicator of reverse migration from Israel.
According to Hebrew Channel 12, over 100,000 mentions of reverse migration from Israel to abroad have been tracked on social media since the war in Gaza began.
The reverse migration trend became evident as many international airlines resumed flights to Ben Gurion Airport after initially halting them at the start of the war.
The Israeli embassy in Cyprus estimated that between 10,000 and 12,000 Israelis permanently reside there, with an additional 4,000 joining after the war due to security deterioration.
With the increasing trend of Israeli families migrating to the neighboring island, Israelis have started referring to Cyprus as “the second Israel,” reflecting the rising number of people heading there.
However, many Israelis in Cyprus feel anxious, with few wearing clothing featuring Hebrew inscriptions.
Public Campaigns “Let’s Leave Together”
Reverse migration from Israel is not limited to individuals but has found its way into public campaigns titled “Let’s Leave the Country Together,” urging people to emigrate.
These campaigns have intensified their calls on social networks, encouraging families to seek destinations outside of Israel, either temporarily due to the war or for permanent settlement, offering job opportunities and investment in business projects.
The escalation of these collective reverse migration campaigns comes amid the ongoing war in Gaza and the lack of prospects for its end.
These campaigns offer assistance to those holding only an Israeli passport, not those with dual citizenship and a foreign passport. They work on issuing foreign passports for Israelis, providing business initiative opportunities, and investment abroad.
The “Let’s Leave the Country Together” campaign has formed a committee to handle applications and inquiries from Israelis wanting to leave. The committee forwards requests to relevant authorities that provide visa issuance, housing, job opportunities, investment, and emigration services to 48 countries worldwide.
According to the campaign’s social media posts, their intensified activity aims to organize groups of Israelis to leave the state, with the first group consisting of 10,000 Israelis. This number will be expanded in the future to assist more people in emigrating and settling abroad.
Yaniv Gurlick manages a popular Facebook group for the campaign, with about 5,000 Israelis participating, along with others interacting on his personal account. Their inquiries focus on emigration and traveling abroad, even temporarily until the Gaza war ends. Some seek information on work visas in European countries.
Young Israelis openly admit they have “lost hope in Israel’s future.” While they previously traveled to Western capitals for leisure, they now emigrate to any possible destination due to the lack of hope in the state, especially since there is no leader promising a good future.
On the contrary, Israeli leaders affirm that “fighting in Gaza will continue for a long time,” prompting legitimate questions about whether this is the right time to build their future, given that the war in Gaza has caused a “disaster” dragging them and their future into the abyss.
Many Israelis who have emigrated have posted statements and tweets justifying their decision by saying, “We did not abandon the state; the state abandoned us.” They acknowledge it will take a long time to overcome the significant anxiety they experienced on October 7 and the subsequent decision to go to war in Gaza.
This led them to “bid farewell” to the state, to the extent that slogans like “Nothing like Israel” no longer matter to them in the face of the looming dangers within the country.
Categories of Jewish Emigrants
In recent months, Hebrew media has conducted numerous interviews with Israelis who decided to leave, revealing that the list of emigrants includes families, businessmen, and women with dual nationality, many of whom work remotely.
Additionally, some work for themselves, including electronics engineers in high-tech companies, with expectations of rising numbers of emigrants if the war continues and expands to other fronts. They readily admit they can no longer face the idea of staying in Israel.
A new group joining the reverse migration trend includes hundreds of reservist soldiers and officers.
Since the outbreak of the war, hundreds of cases have been recorded monthly, violating military order number 8, which prohibits them from traveling without informing their commanders. Their commanders only learned of their departure after they left the state due to increased fatigue from being called up for military service for the second and third times, with some accumulating 200 reserve days since the war began.
At the same time, a significant portion of Jewish emigrants from Israel holds foreign citizenship. They quickly packed their bags and left immediately after Hamas attacked settlements around Gaza on October 7, 2023. About 15% of Israelis have dual citizenship, allowing them relatively comfortable migration options.
As the war shows no signs of ending soon, those who left prefer not to return to Israel. This extensive reverse migration includes many Israelis working in high-tech and technical investments, according to the newspaper Maariv.
The Jewish emigrants from Israel to Canada include highly skilled professionals with extensive experience, high scientific and practical competence, engineers, doctors, department heads, CEOs, and those working in advanced technology, according to Hebrew Channel 12. “These are the ‘strong’ categories that Israel needs, contributing to its civil and productive sectors, but they were lost due to the war.”
Israelis openly admit that the real reason driving them to consider reverse migration is the erosion of their sense of security and the need to build a family in a safe place, seeking increased stability and belonging, which is unavailable in Israel due to the ongoing war in Gaza. The dating platform OkCupid has provided interesting insights into the views of single men and women in Israel regarding reverse migration abroad.
The latest to leave Israel were the veteran international affairs correspondent for Yedioth Ahronoth and Channel 12, Nadav Eyal, and his wife, Tamar, the main news anchor for Channel 13.
