The emigration of Israeli elites.. The brain drain raises concerns for the occupation.

In a globalized world where highly skilled talents dominate the wheels of economy and development, the issue of Israeli elite migration emerges as one of the most prominent strategic challenges for the occupying state.

While countries like Norway and Britain seek to attract experienced doctors and engineers from abroad, Israeli society is witnessing a mass exodus of its talented youth, raising concerns among economists and demographic specialists.

Eyal pointed out that U.S. President Donald Trump recently emphasized the need to grant work visas to high-skilled individuals through the H1B program, stating during an interview with host Laura Ingraham: "We need to attract talent here."

He added: "You can't take people from the unemployment office and say to them: I will put you in a factory and you will make rockets."

This perspective highlights the difference between countries that reject high economic capacity migration and those that seek to attract distinguished talents, which explains the concerns among Central and Southern European countries facing declining natural fertility and the emigration of their talented youth.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth, official data released by the Knesset Research and Information Center recorded a significant increase in the number of long-term emigrants during the period 2022-2023, with approximately 59,400 Israelis leaving in 2022, an increase of 44% from the previous year.

The number rose to 82,800 emigrants in 2023, an increase of 39%, with a peak recorded in October 2023.

The trend continued into 2024, while the number of returnees after long stays abroad decreased from 29,600 in 2022 to 24,200 in 2023.

Concerns did not stop there, as three economists from Tel Aviv University – Professor Itai Atar, Professor Nitai Bergman, and Daron Zamir – focused on dissecting and correcting the official data, excluding about 30,000 migrants from Ukraine who returned within a short period.

They considered that the actual number of Israelis leaving in 2023 is about 50,000 people only.

The experts clarified that migration primarily targets doctors, engineers, and high-skilled individuals, with three-quarters of these emigrants being under the age of forty.

Between January 2023 and September 2024, 875 doctors left the country, along with more than 19,000 university students, including about 6,600 graduates in science and technology, and over 3,000 engineers.

Professor Dan Ben David from Tel Aviv University warned that the production and capabilities of Israeli society depend on an extremely small percentage of the elite, and that the erosion of this sector could lead to structural crises that are difficult to address.

Professor Atar also pointed out that rising living costs, unequal opportunities, and the government's focus on the interests of specific groups are driving more highly educated youth to leave the country.

He warned that the upcoming elections could determine the future of the state regarding its ability to retain its elite.

Eyal notes that current policies in Israel do not provide facilities for non-Jewish migrants or researchers and doctors and engineers not connected by family ties, which increases the state's loss of talents.

He pointed out that the continuation of this trend could make Israel a country that loses its ability to defend its national interests without its elite, amid fierce global competition for talents and competencies.

The report concludes that what is happening in Israel is not merely a human hemorrhage, but represents a long-term strategic threat that requires urgent policies and practical incentives to retain the elite and encourage them to stay or return to the country.