Emigration: 99,000 Israelis Leave as Election Looms

A national vote takes place next week, but for roughly 99,000 Israelis, the decision to leave has already been made. This figure represents the highest number of departures recorded in the country's history over a two-year span. Itai Ater, a professor at the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University, states that the upcoming election could intensify this outflow.

Ater and his colleagues released a study in February based on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics. The research covers the period from January 2023 to December 2024. It identifies 99,000 individuals who met specific criteria for emigration. These criteria included being away for at least three consecutive months and spending more than 270 days abroad during the first year of departure.

The data breaks down into 50,000 departures in 2023 and 49,000 in 2024. Ater indicates that preliminary figures suggest this pattern persisted through 2025. The context for these numbers is a country of approximately 10 million people experiencing three years of turmoil. Ater notes that the period has included war, economic instability, and a prime minister facing a corruption trial that began in 2020 without a verdict.

"Israelis are thinking, 'do I want to raise my kids in a country like this?'", Ater said. He added that he sympathizes with those who answer no. The year 2023 began with the Hamas attack on southern Israel. That conflict killed roughly 1,200 people and resulted in 250 hostages being taken. Israel responded with a military campaign in the Gaza Strip. A ceasefire took effect in October 2025, though Israel retains control of about 60 percent of the territory and continues regular military activity.

Political uncertainty compounds the economic and security pressures. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the longest-serving leader in Israeli history, is seeking to retain power. Polls indicate his far-right bloc is likely to fall short of the 61 Knesset seats required to form a government. Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, leads a rival bloc expected to win the most seats, though also likely to miss a majority. Coalition building typically follows the vote, a process in which Netanyahu has long demonstrated skill.

Ater warned that without a change in direction, emigration numbers could rise sharply. "These [emigration] numbers will go up dramatically", he stated. The trend is visible in daily life. Avigail Ben-Porat, a 50-year-old single mother in Kiryat Shmona near the Lebanese border, dreams of leaving but lacks the financial means. She reports hearing rocket fire regularly. Many of her friends have relocated to Portugal, Canada, Thailand, and India.

The study identifies a sharp rise in departures among highly skilled workers. This includes doctors, Ph.D. holders, and engineers. Net departures in 2023 and 2024 included 2,360 engineers and 509 doctors. "Israel's economy depends on the human capital", Ater said, pointing to the tech industry, academia, and health care sectors.

Businesses are also adjusting. Liam Schwartz, head of corporate immigration at the Tel Aviv law firm Goldfarb, Gross, Seligman, said some companies face pressure from non-Israeli shareholders. These investors worry about the viability of operating from Israel. Consequently, firms are more willing to shift workforce portions to North America or Europe. Schwartz traces this discontent to January 2023, when the government proposed judicial reforms that would have reduced the Supreme Court's powers.

"They feel like the Israeli government is no longer meeting its part of the social contract", Schwartz said. He described the October vote as a potential turning point for emigration levels. Ater framed the stakes as a strategic risk to Israel as a democracy and a liberal country. He noted that this situation is a concern for the Middle East and the wider world.