99,000 Israelis Departed in Two Years as Election Looms

Next week's national election in Israel arrives with a record number of citizens abroad. Itai Ater, a professor at the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University, states that the vote could accelerate the trend of departure. His warning follows a new analysis showing the highest level of emigration in the country's history.

A study published in February by Ater and colleagues used Central Bureau of Statistics data to track these movements. The research counted individuals who stayed away for at least three consecutive months and spent over 270 days outside during their first year away. Between January 2023 and December 2024, 99,000 Israelis met these criteria. Approximately 50,000 left in 2023, while 49,000 departed in 2024. Ater noted that preliminary figures indicate this pattern continued through 2025.

The exodus coincides with major upheaval in the nation of 10 million. The year 2023 began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel that 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 Israeli forces still control about 60 percent of the enclave and maintain regular military operations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has led the country for three decades, is seeking power again in the upcoming vote.

Polls suggest Netanyahu's far-right bloc will not reach the 61 Knesset seats required to govern. Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashar party is positioned to win the most seats but is also expected to fall short of a majority. Coalition building will likely determine the government's composition. Ater warned that without political change, emigration numbers will rise dramatically. He cited the ongoing uncertainty regarding Netanyahu's corruption trial, which began in 2020 without a verdict, as a factor driving families to reconsider their future.

Avigail Ben-Porat, a 50-year-old single mother in Kiryat Shmona near the Lebanese border, represents those considering leaving. She hears rocket fire regularly and dreams of moving abroad but lacks the financial means. Many of her friends have relocated to Portugal, Canada, Thailand, and India. The demographic shift is also a concern for the economy. The study found a sharp rise in departures among skilled workers, including 2,360 engineers and 509 doctors. Ater emphasized that Israel's economy relies heavily on this human capital in tech, academia, and health care.

Business leaders are observing the trend closely. Liam Schwartz, who heads corporate immigration at the Tel Aviv law firm Goldfarb, Gross, Seligman, said some companies face pressure from non-Israeli investors. These investors worry about the viability of operating from Israel and are pushing for workforce shifts to North America or Europe. Schwartz traced this discontent to January 2023, when the government proposed judicial reforms that would have reduced the Supreme Court's powers. He stated that many feel the government is no longer meeting its part of the social contract.