Over one quarter of Israelis consider leaving occupied territories: Survey

The study, conducted by an Israeli research institute and published on November 23, found that 27 percent of Zionists are contemplating departure from the occupied lands.

The survey that was carried out in April among 720 Zionist regime’s respondents and 187 Palestinian residents of the occupied territories reflects a population unsettled by Israeli aggression on multiple fronts.

Younger Israelis were the most likely to consider leaving, with 60 percent reporting emigration intentions, a figure that rose to 80 percent among high-income Israelis holding foreign passports.

Among Palestinians, 30 percent said they were thinking of leaving, compared with 26 percent of Zionist settlers.

Across both populations, higher education and income levels correlated with stronger intentions to emigrate, particularly among professionals in globally mobile fields such as high-tech, medicine, and finance.

Dual citizenship also increased the likelihood of leaving. Israeli-born settlers were more inclined to consider emigration than those who had immigrated to the occupied territories.

Respondents overwhelmingly cited insecurity, political instability, cost-of-living pressures, and concern for their children’s future as key motivations, with many describing the overall direction of the occupied territories as “bad.”

Among Israeli-born Jews with dual citizenship, the probability of wanting to leave rose significantly for those who had spent time living abroad.

The EU was the most cited potential destination, at 43 percent, followed by the United States and Canada at 27 percent.

A series of official data releases throughout October and November points to a sustained, years-long population outflow that the Israeli regime has been unable to reverse.

An October 2025 Ynet report, drawing on data from the Knesset’s Research and Information Center, revealed a steep negative migration balance between 2020 and 2024, with 145,900 more Israelis leaving than returning. Annual outflows hit record highs, 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 Gaza war and the neglect of the civilian front had fractured the society and created what he called “a real strategic threat.”

These concerns underpinned the November 6 announcement by right-wing Zionist regime’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who called for a two-year zero-income-tax incentive for immigrants and returning residents arriving in 2026, a measure framed as essential to counter an unprecedented settler exodus.

The official figures show that despite 54,000 new immigrants since the start of Zionist regime’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.