Israeli settlers leaving sees 150% increase since October 7 amid fears

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
11 Jul 2024 23:39
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Israeli media highlight a notable rise in Israeli settlers leaving occupied Palestine, with concerns about safety and security driving this "reverse migration".

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Passengers wait at Israeli occupation Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, on October 7, 2023, as flights are canceled because of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. (AFP)

Israeli media reported on a large number of Israeli settlers leaving occupied Palestine with no intention of returning, revealing a significant increase in Israeli "reverse migration".

Israeli Channel 13, citing new data, described the situation as "very harsh", noting that there has indeed been a large increase in the number of Israeli settlers who have left occupied Palestine.

Lee Yaron, a writer for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz and author of the book "October Seventh", said the data show that 5,000 Israeli settlers cut their stay in "Israel" since October, which comprises a 150% increase compared to the previous year between October and July.

Yaron pointed out that those who cut their stay are young with children, and they confirmed that "they prefer to start their lives in another place," noting that "those who cut their residencies talk about not feeling safe because of the war."

Thousands of Israelis are seeking immigration

In this context, Israeli Channel 12 reported that "the discussion about migration among Israelis on social networks has recently increased by more than 100%."

The channel highlighted an analysis by Scooper, a company specializing in comprehensive social listening and analytics, which revealed a two-and-a-half-fold increase in discussions about leaving the entity in recent weeks. The company clarified that these discussions were fueled by individuals talking about colleagues who had left, personal stories of relocating, and strong criticism of immigrants.

The channel also reported that since the start of the war, there have been over 100,000 instances of the term "relocating" being used to discuss migration from "Israel" across various platforms. It noted three peak periods in migration discussions during the war: the first shortly after October 7, with a 70% increase in usage, a second peak in March 2024, and a current third peak underway.

The channel pointed out that the absence of official data hinders the ability to know the actual percentage of Israeli emigration during the war, however, the general state of the phenomenon can be known by monitoring the impact of the talk on social networks.