Nearly one in four Israeli settlers of the Israeli occupation, and nearly one in three Arabs residing in Israeli-occupied '48 territories, would consider leaving on a temporary or permanent basis, according to new data released Wednesday by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI).

The findings highlight growing social and economic anxieties across communities, despite differing motivations for departure.

The survey shows a stark divide among Israeli respondents based on religious identity. Secular Israeli settlers are the most likely to consider migration, with 39% saying they are weighing the option, far higher than among religious or ultra-Orthodox respondents.

Among Palestinians, those aged 35 to 54 expressed the greatest openness to leaving, with around 34.5% willing to consider leaving their occupied homeland. Yet, 79% of Palestinian respondents said that they believe remaining in occupied Palestine is important to them, despite the conditions they face.

Respondents across groups cited the soaring cost of living and concern over their children’s long-term prospects as the primary reasons for contemplating departure. While few had a defined destination in mind, Europe appeared more desirable than North America among those who expressed preferences.

More than half of all Israeli respondents (54%) see the increasing departure of Israelis as a serious threat to "Israel's" future.

Read more: War on Gaza, judicial overhaul drive Israelis to flee en masse

Portugal's 'old times are back' event draws massive turnout

Earlier on November 28, thousands of Israeli settlers formed massive queues outside Cinema City, in the city settlement of Glilot, in central occupied Palestine, after the Portuguese Embassy opened in-person registration for citizenship and passport renewal appointments, bypassing its long-overloaded online system.

The embassy’s temporary initiative, promoted as an “old times are back” event, allowed Portuguese citizens and eligible applicants to wait on-site without advance scheduling to secure appointments for December and January. The line stretched from the cinema complex down to its underground parking structure, with many arriving before dawn and others abandoning the effort upon seeing the hours-long wait.

Demand for European passports intensified after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, which was launched on October 7, and the subsequent Israeli aggression on Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and Syria, with many Israelis seeking a second passport for security. Despite agreeing to multiple ceasefire agreements and, in the case of Syria, engaging in direct talks with authorities, the Israeli government continues to gravely violate ceasefire agreements and launch unprovoked attacks in the region.

In turn, responses to those "Israel" attacks have shaken up the pseudo-stability and security that settlers enjoyed, especially in central occupied Palestine. Additionally, the operations of the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon forced tens of thousands of settlers to abandon their outposts and settle in the center. 

The June 2025 12-day war and the ensuing Israeli aggression on Iran exposed to settlers in metropolitan centers, industrial hubs, and major suburbs the scale of devastation their government’s expansionist and confrontational policies could unleash on their own cities.

With every round of confrontation, Israeli airports swell with settlers rushing to flee the consequences of their occupation and decades-long crimes across West Asia.

Read more: Israeli exodus: 60,000 settlers fled last year on one-way tickets