What will happen to Israel's population after the war ends — forecast

Director General of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration Dganit Sankar-Langa does not believe that aliyah is in crisis. The ministry plans to attract Jews from France, Britain, South Africa, and Australia, as well as specialists — scientists, teachers, doctors. In 2026, 18–20 thousand repatriates are expected to arrive. At the same time, about one million Israelis live abroad, and the return of citizens is declining.

Director General of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration Dganit Sankar-Langa states that aliyah is not in crisis, despite the war, rising cost of living, and increased antisemitism. The ministry is focusing on Jews from France, Great Britain, South Africa, and Australia, as well as attracting scientists, teachers, doctors, and specialists for the defense industry and infrastructure projects. In 2026, 18–20 thousand repatriates are expected to arrive, with about 5 thousand from France, a record high in many years. English-language programs at Israeli universities, including Reichman University, the Technion, Ben-Gurion University, and Ariel University, are designed to attract students from the US. For scientists, there are programs 'Or' and 'Bereshit' with grants of up to 1.7 million shekels. Together with the Ministry of Education and the organization Nefesh B'Nefesh, a program to attract Jewish teachers from abroad has been launched. Over the past two years, more than a thousand doctors have repatriated to Israel. At the same time, about one million Israelis live abroad, and the number of returning citizens is declining: in 2025, 4,483 people returned compared to 10,903 in 2009. The war has revealed problems with support for soldier-repatriates after discharge from the army, and the government has approved a decision to create a support system for them and their families.