Why are Israelis leaving Israel?

Fr David Neuhaus SJ, an Israeli Jesuit priest, born in South Africa to a Jewish family writes:

For many decades, Israel has been a destination for Jewish immigration. Zionism promoted Aliyah (the ascent to the land), establishing organisations and government offices to encourage Jewish immigration to Israel. For the first time in decades, the number of Jews leaving the country has far exceeded the number of Jews coming to live in the country. Today, hundreds of thousands of Jewish Israelis live in the US, Europe, and beyond, creating a vibrant Israeli diaspora (to be distinguished from the Jewish communities in these lands).

The Israeli press has been focusing in recent days on the phenomenon of Israeli Jews leaving Israel and seeking greener pastures elsewhere. Over the past three years, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have left the country although statistics are difficult to come by. Furthermore, polls have also found that an important segment of the Israeli population would leave if they could. These are signs of the discontent not only with the present government but with the country itself. Israel seems to go from war to war, from crisis to crisis, and some Israeli citizens have had enough.

Dr. Hagai Agmon-Snir is a former brain researcher. Over the past two and a half decades, he has been active in promoting coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. Agmon-Snir was a founder and director of the Jerusalem Inter-Cultural Center, a civil society organisation, addressing the needs of all Jerusalemites by relating to the city as one urban unit. It seeks to bring together ultra-Orthodox, modern Orthodox and secular Jewish Israelis, together with Christian and Muslim Palestinians, empowering them to be active and effective in shaping their shared futures. In 2026, he and his wife, Iris Meiri-Snir, relocated to Italy. For them, Israel has become hopeless and is on its way to becoming a fascist state.

Unlike many Israelis, who leave quietly, unwilling to draw attention to their decision, Agmon-Snir has gone public. In a candid interview with Deutsche Welle, Agmon-Snir explains his reasons for leaving the country.

Watch the interview here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yOgTfYLpeU&t=616s

Read an article on this phenomenon in the Israeli press: www.timesofisrael.com/driven-by-prolonged-conflict-and-ideological-shift-more-israelis-seek-quiet-life-abroad