Israeli settler reverse migration revealed for first time since Oct. 7

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
26 Nov 2024 19:12
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Over 117,000 Israeli settlers have left occupied Palestine since October 7, 2023, due to ongoing war and Resistance operations from Gaza and Lebanon.

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Israeli settlers and passengers look at the monitor displaying delayed flights at Ben Gurion airport, near Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, Monday, March 27, 2023. (AP)

More than a year after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, reverse migration from "Israel" has intensified to an irreversible extent. According to official Israeli data, the i24NEWS website reported that 117,000 Israelis left "Israel" to reside abroad for an extended period and have not returned since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023.

This is the first time this figure has been disclosed, with the number being three times higher than in previous years.

The website noted that, on average, 36,000 Israeli settlers left "Israel" for long-term residence during the past decade. However, in the first seven months of 2024, approximately 40,000 Israeli settlers left for an extended period and did not return.

The large number of Israeli settlers leaving comes amid the ongoing war and continued resistance from Gaza and Lebanon, which have targeted "Israel" major cities, causing significant damage to buildings, as well as economic and agricultural facilities.

Surge in doctors leaving 'Israel' amid staggering economic crisis

Earlier in August, Israeli Channel 13 reported "disturbing data" on a significant increase in the number of doctors leaving "Israel", noting that the rate has surged to ten times the usual level.

Gil Feir, Deputy Director-General for Medical Affairs at Ichilov Hospital and responsible for human resources, confirmed this "quiet exodus".

Initially just an idea among doctors during the political turmoil in Tel Aviv, it has become a tangible reality since Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Feir linked this trend to the perception among the Israeli elite that "their place is not here and they do not want to stay."

Israeli media journalist Merav Sevar of Israel Hayom commented that it is "sad that the government is fighting to ensure there is no societal backbone here, that children remain uneducated, and that doctors are leaving."

She added that Israeli occupation Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wants an economy on the basis of "if you follow my rules," leading to a downgrade of "Israel's" credit rating.

Economic analyst Matan Hudorov argued that the data reflect the scale of the problem, stating that "the economy is ultimately not based on 10 million people but on 300,000 to 400,000 productive individuals, including researchers, doctors, scientists, and high-tech employees."

"If 10% or 15% of them leave, there will be no modern economy here," he maintained.

In response to a suggestion that the country could manage without these groups and rely solely on those with ideological backgrounds, Hudorov said, "Then let’s move past the Stone Age and start the economy from scratch." He added, "The problem is that there is no backbone... the problem is that there is no basis."