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MK Kariv warns of emigration 'tsunami' as study shows nearly 270,000 people left Israel since 2023

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Nearly 270,000 Israelis have left the country for three or more consecutive months since 2023, according to a Tel Aviv University study.
  • This figure represents a significant increase compared to the same period a decade ago, when fewer than 84,000 Israelis left.
  • A Knesset committee chair warned of an "emigration tsunami" and criticized the government for inaction, linking the trend to the government's conduct.

Israel is facing an "emigration tsunami," warned Knesset Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee Chair MK Gilad Kariv, citing a new Tel Aviv University study. The study reveals that over 90,000 Israelis left the country in 2025 for three or more consecutive months. This trend shows a significant increase compared to a decade prior.

Since I took office, I have warned: Israel is facing a tsunami of emigration from the country, and the government is doing nothing about it.

— MK Gilad KarivWarning about the scale of emigration from Israel.

Based on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics, the study found that a total of 268,930 Israelis left Israel between 2023 and 2025. In contrast, only 83,219 citizens departed during the comparable three-year period of 2013-2015. Kariv criticized the government, stating, "We have demanded time and again during the discussions we convened that a person be appointed to comprehensively deal with the phenomenon."

We have demanded time and again during the discussions we convened that a person be appointed to comprehensively deal with the phenomenon.

— MK Gilad KarivCriticizing the government's lack of a dedicated response to emigration.

Kariv further asserted that the government views this emigration as a "blessing" and called for a multi-year plan to reverse the trend. He highlighted that many emigrants are doctors, engineers, and academics, describing the situation as a "strategic threat to the future of Israel." He linked this exodus to the government's conduct and a "coup d'état," while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "dismissive attitude" was also noted.

The study published today confirms the dangerous trend: 90,000 Israelis left the country in the past year. Many of them are doctors, engineers and academics.

— MK Gilad KarivHighlighting the scale and professional impact of emigration.

The study noted that public discourse on Israeli migration renewed around the November 2022 elections, judicial reform protests, and the October 7 massacre. Researchers estimate that between 45,000 and 50,000 citizens will leave Israel in 2025 for a year or more. Kariv urged Israelis who had left to return and vote in the upcoming elections, stating, "The fix is ​​on the way. And we need you with us to bring it."

This is a strategic threat to the future of Israel, and is closely linked to the government's conduct and the coup d'état.

— MK Gilad KarivDescribing emigration as a national security risk tied to government actions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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