A report showing a spike in citizens leaving Israel since 2022, revealing a decline of 125,200 people from the country’s migration balance, was presented on Monday in the Knesset’s Committee for Immigration, Absorption, and Diaspora Affairs.
The report was conducted by the Knesset’s Research and Information Center (RIC) and was presented in the committee meeting led by its chairperson, MK Gilad Kariv (The Democrats).
“Tens of thousands of Israelis have chosen to leave Israel in the past two years. This is not a wave of emigration; it’s a tsunami of Israelis choosing to leave the country,” he said.
The migration balance of Israelis has declined by approximately 125,200 people since the beginning of 2022, the report said.
This number was calculated by subtracting the amount of long-term departures from the number of long-term returnees, excluding new immigrants and naturalized citizens.
Dr. Ayala Eliyahu, from the Knesset’s RIC, told the panel that “since 2022, we’ve seen a clear increase in the number of Israelis choosing to leave the country for long stays abroad, alongside a decline in the number returning.”
Continuous increase in Israelis leaving
She showed that there was a continuous increase in those leaving throughout the years.
“Israel’s population decreased by 29,700 citizens due to emigration; in 2023, by 58,600 people; and in 2024, up to August, by 36,900 Israelis,” she said.
In the committee meeting, Kariv called on the government to “recognize the seriousness of this trend and to focus efforts on stopping it.”
“There must be a comprehensive government plan to encourage the return of Israelis who are living abroad for extended periods,” he added.
Vladimir Beliak (Yesh Atid) addressed the financial aspect and harm that the spike in Israelis leaving the country can cause to the panel.
“Those who choose to emigrate have a tremendous impact on Israel’s economy, and their departure causes financial damage amounting to billions of shekels,” he said.
“A coherent policy must be developed to keep our best and brightest in Israel,” Beliak added.
Eric Michaelson, deputy director-general for immigration at the Aliyah and Integration Ministry, told the committee that it was not the ministry’s job to prevent emigration from Israel.
“We are the Aliyah and Integration Ministry, not a ministry for preventing emigration,” he said.
“I am not aware of any internal planning within our ministry for preventing emigration. The populations of new immigrants and returning residents are under our responsibility, and we work to help them stay in Israel long-term,” he told the panel.
Adv. Danny Zaken of the National Insurance Institute spoke on the increase of those terminating their residency in the country.
“We initiate termination of residency only after five years abroad. On the other hand, citizens can contact us proactively and request earlier cancellation of their Israeli residency,” Zaken explained.
“From 2015 to 2021, there were an average of about 2,500 such requests per year. In 2022, the number rose to about 3,700; in 2023, to about 6,300; and in 2024, over 8,400 requests were submitted to terminate residency. There is a clear trend of more families proactively requesting to cut off residency,” he said.
Kariv said that he would hold a follow-up meeting on the spike of Israelis leaving the country and concluded in his remarks to the panel that “there must be a coordinated government effort to stop this trend.”