Young secular Jewish Israelis were the group most likely to consider leaving, heightening concerns about a deepening skill exodus
News Desk - The Cradle
The survey, conducted in April among 720 Jewish Israeli respondents and 187 Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, reflects a population unsettled by more than 18 months of war on multiple fronts.
It predates both Israel’s confrontation with Iran in June and the latest Gaza ceasefire, leaving uncertainty over whether subsequent events would shift these attitudes.
Respondents overwhelmingly cited cost-of-living pressures, insecurity, political instability, and concern for their children’s future as central motivations for wanting to leave, with many describing the country’s overall direction as “bad.”
The data reveals a detailed pattern of who is most likely to consider emigration. Thirty percent of Palestinian citizens of Israel said they were thinking of leaving, compared with 26 percent of Jewish citizens.
Among Jews, non-religious Israelis accounted for the largest share (39 percent), followed by traditional but non-religious (24 percent), traditional religious (19 percent), Orthodox (14 percent), and ultra-Orthodox (four percent).
Younger secular Jewish Israelis were the most likely to consider departure at 60 percent, while the rate rose to 80 percent among high-income Israeli Jews holding a foreign passport.
Across both Jews and Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, higher education and higher income correlated with stronger emigration intentions, particularly in globally mobile professions such as high-tech, medicine, and finance.
Second citizenship also increased the likelihood of leaving, and Israeli-born citizens were more inclined to consider emigration (33 percent) than those who had immigrated to Israel (22 percent).
Among Israeli-born Jews with dual citizenship, the probability of wanting to leave rose significantly for those who had spent time living abroad.
Most respondents who were considering leaving – 69 percent of Jews and 62.5 percent of Palestinians – said they were not drawn to any specific country, only away from Israel.
The EU was noted as the most desirable destination at 43 percent of respondents, followed by the US and Canada at 27 percent.
The survey noted that family ties are the main barrier to emigration for both Jewish and Palestinian citizens, with many indicating they would have already left if close relatives had moved abroad.
A series of official data releases throughout October and November point to a sustained, years-long population outflow that the Israeli government has been unable to reverse.
An October 2025 Ynet report, based on findings from the Knesset’s Research and Information Center, detailed a steep negative migration balance between 2020 and 2024, with 145,900 more Israelis leaving than returning and record annual outflows reaching 82,800 in 2023 and 49,000 in the first eight months of 2024.
Knesset member Gilad Kariv described the phenomenon as “a tsunami,” warning that government actions preceding the war and the neglect of the civilian front had fractured society and created what he called “a real strategic threat.”
These concerns underpinned the 6 November announcement by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of a two-year zero-income-tax incentive for immigrants and returning residents arriving in 2026, a measure officials framed as essential to counter an unprecedented settler exodus and attract high-skill workers, investors, and entrepreneurs.
Government figures show that despite 54,000 new immigrants since the start of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, departures have sharply outpaced arrivals; ministry data and lawmakers alike warn that eight in 10 Israelis abroad have no intention of returning.
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