Data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reveals a significant rise in the number of Israelis leaving the country permanently, according to a report from Channel 13. The increase comes amid the ongoing war in Gaza, heightened tensions with Hezbollah on the northern border, and the aftermath of last year’s civil unrest over the government’s judicial overhaul plan. In 2021, around 31,000 Israelis left the country, with 29,000 returning. The numbers rose in 2022, with 38,000 departing and 23,000 returning. In 2023, the trend accelerated sharply, with 55,300 Israelis emigrating and only 27,000 coming back, marking a jump of over 50% compared to the previous year. Unverified data from the first half of 2024 suggests that 40,400 more Israelis have left, according to Channel 13. Israeli journalist Matan Hodorov commented that the spike may partly be due to a change in the definition of emigration. Previously, emigration was defined as staying abroad for at least a year, but the new standard considers anyone who spends at least 275 days outside the country in a one-year period. Hodorov also pointed out that the sharp rise in 2023 could be more closely tied to political unrest over the judicial overhaul rather than the ongoing war. “Either way, the trend is not changing but is currently increasing,” he said, noting that more married and educated Israelis, including doctors, researchers, programmers, and engineers, are leaving the country. “This is an initial confirmation of the prevailing feeling among young people from the middle class, that many around us are leaving,” Hodorov wrote. He also warned that the emigration of highly skilled professionals could have a damaging effect on Israel’s GDP and tax revenues. In July, a separate report from Channel 12 cited CBS data showing that Israeli emigration spiked after Hamas’s October 7 massacre and the subsequent outbreak of war in Gaza, though the numbers reportedly stabilized in the following months. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)