An exclusive report by the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz, highlighted a significant increase in the number of Jews leaving Israel since the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023, in search of safer destinations. The newspaper likened this exodus to “a return to wandering.”
In a report titled “In Israel and Abroad: Jews Leave Their Homes Searching for Safer Places”, the newspaper presented stories of individuals who left Israel, either due to the ongoing war or the decline in democracy.
Among these stories is that of Emma Magan Toktali, who had never previously considered leaving Israel. However, in August, she and her husband sold all their belongings, rented an apartment in Thailand, and moved there with their two children.
According to Haaretz, the couple stated that they “don’t know where they will settle in the future or whether they will return to Israel.”
Similarly, Dror Sadot, 29, left for Berlin with her partner in November 2023. She explained that the recent elections and the protests against the judicial overhaul represented a “breaking point” for her.
Sadot told Haaretz, “Everyone protested in defense of democracy without addressing the occupation. The issues once central to the Left have been marginalized, and the war accelerated this process.”
She added, “I don’t know what the future holds, but Israel is no longer my home.”
Last year, even before the outbreak of the Gaza war, Israel witnessed massive demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial judicial reform plan, which sought to diminish the power of the judiciary in favor of the legislative and executive branches—an initiative the opposition described as a “power grab.”
On the other hand, Jonathan Rogul, a 48-year-old Jewish-American tech engineer, immigrated to Israel from Washington in April 2024, standing in solidarity with the country after the war. From his new home in Tel Aviv, Rogul admitted feeling anxious about Israel’s democratic future. He actively participates in protests against the government and supports a deal with Hamas to secure the release of captives held in Gaza.
According to Haaretz, “Since October 7, tens of thousands of Jews in Israel and abroad have sought new, safer homelands.”
The paper elaborated that the motivations for leaving varied, including fears of war, the collapse of democracy, opposition to the government, rising living costs, fear of anti-Semitism, and solidarity with Israel.
The report added that Jews of the 21st century might once again face the reality of wandering.
Ilan Rapevo, a 50-year-old from Ramat HaSharon, central Israel, runs a transportation and relocation company that his father founded in the late 1980s to assist French Jews moving to Israel. Initially, the company only catered to Jews immigrating to Israel, but in the 1990s, it began offering services for Jews wishing to leave Israel, helping them find homes abroad, search for schools, and obtain visas.
“Things Are Getting Worse”
He recalled relocating an extended family from Kiryat Motzkin, northern Israel, to Spain a few weeks ago. The family, spanning three generations, including elderly parents, their children, and grandchildren, expressed their dissatisfaction with the political and economic situation, feeling that Israel was no longer a place for secular liberals, fearing the situation would deteriorate further.
Rapevo noted that his company has seen a marked rise in requests for relocation assistance from Israeli families, especially from the central regions and evacuees from the north due to the war with Hezbollah. His company has helped relocate a group of 30 families—over 100 people—to Thessaloniki, northern Greece.
He also mentioned that many Israelis holding foreign passports are considering leaving but have yet to make their final decision.
The reality Rapevo described is reflected in the latest official statistics from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, which revealed that tens of thousands of Israelis have left the country in recent years.
According to the data, 42,185 Israelis left between October 2023 and March 2024, and they hadn’t returned by July, marking a 12% increase compared to the same period the previous year.
In October 2023 alone, when the war broke out, there was a dramatic surge in emigration, with 12,300 Israelis leaving without returning—an increase of 400% compared to October 2022.
However, the wave of migration had already begun in the summer before the war, fueled by the backlash against Netanyahu’s judicial reform.
Between July and October 2023, 34,500 Israelis left without returning by the end of May 2024—double the number during the same period in 2022.
Corporate Exodus
Schwartz told Haaretz, “Companies in the electronics and high-tech sectors are leaving Israel due to security concerns. They recognize that if the war spreads to the north, they will need to move entire departments.”
He added, “Other companies are facing growing pressure from employees who want to relocate abroad and are reluctant to return.”
Schwartz said his office has received dozens of inquiries from employees at different levels seeking residency in the U.S., with hundreds of relocation requests since October—the highest number in years.
Asher Turiel, an Israeli accountant specializing in immigration taxes, confirmed that many Israelis have sought advice since October on transferring their funds abroad, including investment portfolios and pensions, highlighting the “significant shift.”
