Driven by prolonged conflict and ideological shift, more Israelis seek quiet life abroad

Iris Meiri-Snir and her husband Hagai Agmon-Snir relocated from Israel to northern Italy last month. The couple left their jobs and social connections behind as they felt the country had become increasingly right-wing and politically unstable. Iris was a vice principal at a prominent Jerusalem high school, while Hagai was a neuroscientist who worked on coexistence initiatives involving various communities in Israel.

They believed they were expressing their opposition to the growing "fascist current" in Israeli society by moving to Arona, a town on Lake Maggiore. A Tel Aviv University study found that Israeli immigration has remained at record levels, with an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 citizens leaving each year over the past three years. This emigration trend has been ongoing since the political upheaval of 2023 and the subsequent wars following the Hamas-led attack in October 2023.

The study warned that the current economic and security risks posed by emigration have not yet reached critical levels, but the situation could change if the trend continues.