TEHRAN – Israel is facing an unprecedented wave of emigration linked to the ongoing war in Gaza and deepening political unrest at home. A new report by the Knesset Research and Information Center shows that more than 125,000 Israeli citizens moved abroad between early 2022 and mid-2024 — the largest loss of human capital in Israel’s history over such a short period.

The data have been presented to the Knesset’s Immigration and Absorption Committee, painting a picture of an entity under growing internal strain. The report attributes the surge in departures to multiple factors, including Israel’s prolonged military campaign in Gaza, political polarization surrounding the government’s judicial overhaul, and a general sense of insecurity and disillusionment among citizens.

A “tsunami” of departures

Committee chairman MK Gilad Kariv described the trend as “not a wave of emigration, but a tsunami,” warning that the government lacks any coherent strategy to address the outflow.
According to the report, 59,400 Israelis left in 2022, followed by an all-time high of 82,800 in 2023. Between January and August 2024, nearly 50,000 more citizens emigrated. The net migration balance — citizens leaving without plans to return minus those who came back — fell by 125,200 in just over two years.
For comparison, the average annual number of long-term emigrants between 2009 and 2021 was approximately 40,500, underscoring the scale of the recent exodus.

War and disillusionment

Sociologists and migration researchers say the motives behind emigration have shifted dramatically. While Israelis in the past often left for better career opportunities, today’s departures are increasingly linked to war fatigue, fear, and political despair.
“The war in Gaza and the political chaos have made many Israelis question their future in this country,” said Professor Lilach Lev Ari of Oranim College. “People feel unsafe, morally conflicted, and uncertain about what lies ahead.”
The war has also exacted a devastating toll on Palestinians. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 68,000 people in Gaza, according to local health authorities. Despite the ceasefire deal announced on October 10, 2025, Israel has continued to carry out strikes across the enclave, drawing international criticism for violating the agreement and worsening the humanitarian catastrophe.

Brain drain and declining returns

Attorney Danny Zaken from Israel’s National Insurance Institute noted a sharp rise in formal residency cancellations — from around 2,500 per year before 2021 to 8,400 in 2024. “These are not temporary moves,” he said. “They represent people cutting ties with the country altogether — academics, doctors, engineers. The brain drain is real.”
Meanwhile, the number of returning Israelis continues to fall. Only 12,100 citizens came back during the first eight months of 2024, down from 29,600 in 2022.
Kariv urged the government to create incentives for citizens abroad to return and to monitor the growing loss of skilled professionals to universities and companies overseas.

Immigration fails to offset losses

Israel continues to receive new immigrants, but the inflow has not compensated for the exodus. Israel welcomed 74,000 new citizens in 2022, 46,000 in 2023, and about 24,000 by August 2024 — a steep decline year over year.
Immigration from Western countries increased slightly in 2025, driven by concerns over antisemitism abroad and support for Zionism after October 7, 2023, but experts say the overall immigration rate remains low compared to a decade ago.
“We are not a ministry for preventing emigration,” said Eric Michaelson, director of Aliyah at the Immigration and Absorption Ministry. “Our mandate is to assist new immigrants and returning residents, not to stop Israelis from leaving.”

Analysts say the rising emigration rate reflects a deeper crisis — one that extends beyond military and political failures. Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza has not achieved its declared objective of defeating Hamas, but it has intensified global condemnation, strained the economy, and fractured Israeli society.
The hidden cost of the war, they argue, lies in the erosion of Israel’s human capital and the moral fatigue gripping its population.