A survey reveals the expansion of thoughts about migration within the Israeli occupation.. Secularists at the forefront.

Israeli journalist Sami Berts revealed in an article published in the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz/The Marker" new data indicating an increase in the number of Israelis considering leaving the country, contrasted by a significant decline in this trend within the Haredi community, despite the intense pressures this community has faced since the beginning of the war, particularly regarding the conscription of its youth into the army.

Despite the media uproar and threats issued by Haredi leaders, led by former Chief Rabbi Isaac Yosef regarding the possibility of leaving the country, the reality is quite different, as the figures show that a very small percentage of Haredim are actually contemplating departure.

According to the results of a recent survey conducted by the "Viterbi" Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research at the Israeli Democracy Institute, only 3 percent of Haredim are considering emigration, the lowest percentage among various social groups.

The percentage of secular individuals considering leaving stands at 39 percent, the highest ever, while 24 percent of non-religious traditionalists express a similar desire, compared to 19 percent of religious traditionalists, and 14 percent of the religious.

On a national level, it appears that 30 percent of Arabs are thinking about leaving, compared to 26 percent of Jews, while the percentage of those seriously considering departure shrinks to 9 percent among Arabs and 6 percent among Jews.

Berts points out that the discourse on emigration, which has intensified since the judicial coup attempt in January 2023, is no longer just a general sentiment but has transformed into a tangible trend supported by official figures.

Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics showed that 143,000 Israelis left the country between 2023 and 2024, while about 200,000 people have left since the current government was formed, of whom nearly 69,000 have returned.

However, the bureau did not provide clear data regarding the identities or demographic characteristics of those leaving, nor about the intentions of those considering emigration without having executed it yet.

The survey results, which included 720 Jews and 187 Arabs, reveal that thoughts of emigration are more prevalent among younger groups, secular individuals, high-income earners, and those with academic education, along with professionals working in mobile sectors such as technology, medicine, and finance.

The data shows that 29 percent of Jews with academic education are considering leaving, while the percentage rises to 38 percent among Arabs, compared to 22 percent among those without higher education in both communities.

Although high-income earners and those with higher education are clearly prominent in the list of those wishing to leave, the cost of living remains the most influential factor in the Jewish community, followed by concerns about the future of children, security during the war, then the political situation and the nature of the government, in addition to feelings of inequality in bearing the military burden.

Cultural alienation ranks low on the list of motivations, while concerns about the future of children top the list of reasons for wanting to leave among Arabs, followed by the high cost of living.

Conversely, the survey results show that those who do not consider leaving the country rely on completely different motivations, primarily the desire to stay close to their families, to raise their children as Israelis, and the feeling of mutual security within the Israeli occupation, while it seems that the difficulty of adapting in other countries is the least of their concerns.

The survey also reveals a surprise regarding the preferred destinations of those planning to leave, as both Jews and Arabs prefer to move to European countries by a much greater margin than towards the United States or Canada.

Berts suggests that many Israelis holding European nationalities may be an important factor in this inclination.

The survey was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Lior Yohanan, Professor Tamar Herman, and Ina Orly Sabujnikov, while statistical analysis was carried out by Yaron Kaplan and Maxim Kaplan.