LONDON, Dec 20: Shira Z. Carmel believes that departing Israel feels easier if framed as a temporary measure. However, she is fully aware of the underlying reality.
For Carmel, an Israeli-born singer, and a growing number of affluent Israelis, the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, obliterated any sense of security and undermined Israel’s foundational promise as a refuge for Jews worldwide. On that day, a large contingent of Hamas militants breached Israel’s border defenses, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the abduction of 250 others into Gaza, leaving the Israeli army blindsided and a nation known for its military capabilities in shock. Unlike previous conflicts, this time, the military response was delayed for hours.
Just ten days post-attack, a pregnant Carmel, along with her husband and toddler, boarded a flight to Australia, which was seeking professionals in her husband’s field. They framed their departure to friends and family in a less permanent light, calling it a “relocation,” acutely aware of the familial strains and societal stigma surrounding long-term emigration.
“We explained we were getting out of the line of fire for a while,” recalled Carmel from her family’s new residence in Melbourne, more than a year later. “It wasn’t difficult to decide to leave. However, discussing it with family was challenging. Admitting it to ourselves was even harder.”
Since the brutal events of October 7, thousands of Israelis have fled, according to government records and immigration data from countries like Canada and Germany. There are escalating concerns about a potential “brain drain” in critical sectors such as medicine and technology. Migration experts suggest that, in 2024, the number of Israelis leaving may outnumber those immigrating to Israel, as noted by Sergio DellaPergola, a statistician and professor emeritus at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
“In my opinion, this year the total number of departures will exceed arrivals,” he remarked. “This is quite extraordinary in Israel’s history.”
The impact of October 7 on emigration from Israel has become significant enough that prominent figures are publicly addressing the issue, expressing concern about the rising antisemitism globally.
“What truly worries me is discussions about leaving the country. This cannot become commonplace,” tweeted former prime minister Naftali Bennett, an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after speaking with acquaintances planning to emigrate. “Israel needs to retain its talent. Who wishes to revert to the days of the wandering Jew, devoid of genuine freedom and a state, subject to every anti-Semitic whim?”
Since the launch of the October attack, thousands have chosen to bear the emotional, financial, and social burdens of relocating, while Israel’s total population continues to inch toward 10 million.
However, predictions indicate that the end of 2024 might see a net outflow of Israelis. This insight comes even as Israel and Hezbollah reached a tentative ceasefire at the Lebanon border and as peace talks concerning Gaza progress.
The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics reported in September that approximately 40,600 Israelis had departed for extended periods in the first seven months of 2024, marking a 59% increase from the same timeframe in 2023, where 25,500 people left. On average, 2,200 more people left each month in 2024 compared to the previous year, CBS reported.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Ministry of Immigration and Absorption, which does not track outgoing individuals, noted that over 33,000 immigrants had arrived in Israel since the onset of the war, aligning with trends from previous years. However, the interior minister declined to provide comments for this report.
The statistics for receiving countries are equally striking. More than 18,000 Israelis sought German citizenship in 2024, a figure that has more than doubled compared to 2023 and tripled in comparison to 2022, as per the Interior Ministry’s September release.
In Canada, which offers a three-year work visa program for those fleeing the war, a striking 5,759 work permit applications were submitted by Israeli citizens between January and October this year, compared to just 1,616 applications in 2023 and 1,176 applications the year before, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Many Israelis are eager to embrace a new life.
Additional indicators validate the notable exodus of Israelis following the October 7 attacks. Gil Fire, the deputy director of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, mentioned that several distinguished specialists with fellowship opportunities abroad began reconsidering their return to Israel.
“Before the conflict, our experts routinely returned home, and staying abroad was seldom an option. However, we’ve recently observed a shift,” Fire explained. “They began expressing intentions to extend their stays—one year, perhaps two, or even longer.’”
This concern is significant enough that Fire plans to visit these doctors in the forthcoming months to entice them back to Israel.
Michal Harel, who relocated with her husband to Toronto in 2019, shared that immediately following the attacks, her phone rang off the hook with fellow Israelis seeking relocation advice. On November 23, 2023, the couple established a website aimed at assisting Israelis through the moving process, which can top 100,000 Israeli shekels (approximately $28,000), according to Harel and other relocation experts.
Not every Israeli has the capability to simply relocate abroad. Many who have departed possess foreign citizenship, jobs with multinational corporations, or the ability to work remotely. The situation in Gaza is even more desperate, as the majority of its 2.3 million inhabitants have faced displacement due to relentless Israeli bombardments since October 7, 2023, with no options to leave the enclave since May. Prior to that, it’s estimated that around 100,000 Palestinians had exited Gaza.
Health officials in Gaza report that Israeli airstrikes have resulted in over 45,000 fatalities.
In a recent phone conversation, Harel noted that their website had gained attention, with over 100,000 unique visitors and 5,000 direct inquiries in 2024 alone.
“These are individuals who wish to relocate swiftly with their families, eager to wake up each morning and enjoy life,” she stated. “Right now, it’s a matter of trauma, trauma, trauma for many in Israel.”
“Some of them wish to keep their plans entirely under wraps,” Harel added.
Emigration from Zion: a threat to Israel or a source of shame?
Aliyah, the Hebrew term for immigration which translates to the “ascent” of Jews into Israel, has always played a crucial role in the nation’s narrative. Conversely, “yerida,” or the term used for leaving Israel—literally meaning the “descent” of Jews from their homeland to the diaspora—has never been viewed positively.
In the early years of Israel’s independence, the government adamantly deterred emigration, viewing many leavers as potentially disloyal or cowardly. A sense of social contract emerged: Israeli citizens would join the military and pay steep taxes in exchange for security provided by the army, and it became the expectation for Jews to remain and contribute to Israel’s existence.
“Initially, emigration was perceived as a threat, particularly during the nation-building phase. However, as Israel gained confidence over the decades, this perception lessened,” noted Ori Yehudai, a professor specializing in Israeli studies at Ohio State University and author of “Leaving Zion,” a historical examination of Israeli emigration. Although there’s still a lingering sense of shame, it manifests more as a social dynamic today, with individuals feeling compelled to rationalize their choice to leave.”
Shira Carmel is resolute in her choice. She had previously opposed Netanyahu’s administration’s judicial reforms and was one of the first women to participate in the “Handmaid’s Tale” protests of 2023. The terror she felt as a new mother and during her pregnancy amidst the Hamas attack left her frantic, and she found it alarming to explain to her young child why they were rushing to bomb shelters for “hugging parties” with neighbors. This was not the life she envisioned.
Simultaneously, Australia beckoned. Carmel’s brother had resided there for two decades, and the couple held a visa equivalent due to her husband’s profession. In the days following the attack, her brother informed her about a potential free flight out of Israel, which she verified with the Australian embassy. With basic logic supporting their choice, Carmel felt compelled to move.
And yet, the hours leading up to their flight were frantic. In the privacy of their bedroom, she questioned her husband, “Are we really doing this?”
They chose not to label their decision, simply stating: “We’re just taking a flight for now, filled with gratitude.” They packed only the essentials.
Grounded half a world away, weeks seamlessly turned into months. They ultimately decided, “I can’t return to give birth in a war zone.” In December, they informed their families in Israel that they were staying “for now.”
“We don’t classify it as permanent,” Carmel asserted this past Tuesday. “But we are indeed staying for the foreseeable future.” (AP)
