War on Gaza, judicial overhaul drive Israelis to flee en masse
3 Min Read
An Israeli journalist warns that whether the emigration is due to the judicial overhaul or the war on Gaza "either way, the trend is not changing but is currently increasing."
-
An Israeli settler looks at departure boards at Ben Gurion Airport in occupied Palestine. (Undated, AP)
Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics for 2023 show a sharp increase in Israelis leaving the occupation entity permanently, coinciding with the ongoing war on Gaza, exchange of fire with Hezbollah on the northern border, and mass unrest earlier last year over the government's judicial overhaul plan.
According to the analysis, about 31,000 Israelis departed in 2021 (compared to 29,000 who returned), 38,000 in 2022 (with 23,000 returning), and 55,300 migrated overseas in 2023 (27,000 returned), representing a more than 50% increase.
According to Channel 13, around 40,400 people departed in the first half of 2024.
Emigration, according to Israeli journalist Matan Hodorov, is now defined as Israelis who spend at least 275 days abroad in a single year.
He speculates that the increase in emigration could be due to the judicial overhaul rather than the war on Gaza but cites that "either way, the trend is not changing but is currently increasing."
Hodorov further claims that the figures show that more married, educated Israelis are leaving, warning that the damage to GDP and tax revenues will be especially significant.
Channel 12 used CBS statistics in July to demonstrate that the number of Israelis who permanently departed "Israel" increased following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
One year into war on Gaza, 'Israel' grapples with upper echelon exodus
The war on Gaza has not only significantly impacted the Israeli occupation's economic standing, but Israelis are also growing exhausted and thus are fleeing, according to The Telegraph, and this can be attributed to the potential of an all-out war, with Hezbollah's operation ongoing undeterred despite the Israeli military's claims otherwise.
Alon Eizenberg, a Bank of Israel consultant, believes the departures are especially troubling for "Israel's" IT sector, which is critical to its economy.
"Some brain drain and loss of human capital will be inevitable," he pointed out.
The tourism industry in the occupation has been struck severely, with Coface BDI estimating that up to 60,000 enterprises may collapse in 2024, particularly smaller ones grappling with manpower shortages.
Many workers have been summoned into reserve duty, resulting in a shortage of trained labor. Evacuations have also hurt the agriculture sector, resulting in higher food costs.
Furthermore, development has stopped due to the departure of 80,000 Palestinian laborers from the West Bank, raising worries about rising housing expenses for the general public.
A 38-year-old Israeli settlers reported feeling it was "very hard psychologically" to deal with inflation.
Itai Ater, from Tel Aviv University, expressed deep concern over the economic situation, highlighting the entity's downgrading by credit rating agencies.
"Israel" has shifted from a budget surplus to a deficit of 8.3% of GDP in the past year, with £19 billion already spent on the aggression.
Ater described the government as "completely dysfunctional", highlighting its inability to make necessary tough decisions and warning that any escalation could further harm the economy and further grow a sense of despair.
