Israelis are not returning home — alarming Knesset data
A Knesset report shows a sharp decline in Israelis returning from abroad: from 2020 to 2024, their number fell by 53% — from 8,000 to 3,800. Since 2022, the number of those leaving the country for long periods has grown, and the migration balance has turned negative (about 140,000 people over 2022–2024). Among returnees in 2024–2025, most are of working age, and about half came from the US and Canada. The report cites reasons: fewer benefits than new immigrants, health insurance issues (waiting up to six months without paying 16,860 shekels), difficulties with employment and spouse status. The situation in the country also influences decisions. Knesset committee head Gilad Kariv warned of an "emigration tsunami."
A report by the Knesset Research and Information Center documents a sharp decline in the number of Israelis returning to the country after prolonged residence abroad. From 2020 to 2024, the number of returnees decreased by approximately 53% — from 8,000 to 3,800 people. The decline began in 2023, and since 2022 the number of Israelis leaving the country for long periods has simultaneously grown. As a result, the migration balance among Israeli citizens in 2022–2024 turned negative: about 140,000 people were net departures over this period. Among returnees in 2024–2025, more than half are of working age (28–60). About 70% lived abroad for over five years, and nearly a third for ten or more. Roughly half of the 141,000 returnees came from North America (45% from the US, 5% from Canada), followed by the UK (6%), France (4%), and Germany (3%). The decline in returnees from the US was especially notable: from 3,700 in 2020 to 1,500 in 2024. After the war between Russia and Ukraine began in 2022, the number of returnees from those countries grew (9% from Ukraine, 8% from Russia). The report cites bureaucratic, economic, and social problems affecting the decision to return. Returnees receive fewer benefits than new immigrants, especially in financial support, housing, taxes, and education. Those who stayed abroad long may wait up to six months for state healthcare unless they pay a 16,860 shekel fee; in 2022–2024, 94% did not pay this amount. Finding well-paid work is also difficult, and obtaining status for a non-citizen spouse can take five to seven years. The situation inside the country also matters: the military, social, and economic climate leads many to postpone or abandon returning, while rising antisemitism worldwide conversely intensifies the need to decide where to live. Knesset committee chair on aliyah, absorption, and diaspora Gilad Kariv said he had warned of an "emigration tsunami" and demanded that someone be appointed responsible for this phenomenon.