As Israel’s problems escalate and are expected to have internal and external repercussions, more and more Israelis have been queuing outside European embassies in Tel Aviv to apply for European passports. Western tourist offices have reported an increase in the number of Israelis trying to obtain other passports in addition to their Israeli ones. There have been more calls to emigrate from Israel because of the internal crisis, after liberal Israelis expressed interest in emigrating.
The Portuguese Immigration Service announced that 21,000 Israelis had applied for citizenship since the beginning of the year, ranking first among other nationalities. Immigration offices have become a destination for thousands of Israelis, and there has been a 10 percent increase in new inquiries regarding Portuguese, German and Polish citizenship since the current government was formed.
The media and social media networks have published a lot of material about Israelis’ immigration and applications for new passports. The most common word in Google searches in Israel has become “moving out”. A Facebook group called “Leaving the Country – Together” was recently formed, announcing that they had decided to organise groups to leave Israel in light of the changes.
Since November 2022, following the Israeli elections, there has been a significant increase in the number of applications for European Union citizenship. European citizenship would allow its holders to live, work and study anywhere in the EU. In recent months, there has been a 10 per cent increase in new Israeli applications for German citizenship and a similar increase in applications for Portuguese citizenship. The French embassy in Tel Aviv has also reported a similar increase in applications for French citizenship.
The European Union’s office in Tel Aviv has confirmed that there has been an increase in the number of people applying for citizenship of their countries, while the United States Embassy refused to answer a question about whether there had been a change in the number of applications for citizenship. Given the recent tensions in Israel, the main concern for thousands of Israelis has become their search for the name of the country whose passport they will receive. Questions such as: which countries would grant them passports without complications, how much money would it cost, and which countries have eased the conditions for granting their passports?
Israelis believe that obtaining one of the European citizenships is one of their most preferred options, because they feel that it opens a window of opportunity for them. Travel and immigration offices are deliberately tempting Israelis who want to obtain a foreign passport in exchange for investment. They have circulated explanatory flyers on social networks, using sponsored advertisements.
Perhaps what encourages Israelis to obtain European passports is the fact that there are 28 countries in the European Union; a passport from any one of them allows its holder to enter most of its countries without any procedures, to live anywhere in Europe, to study there for free, and to pass this privilege on to their children, seeing it as a form of security. Recently, indicators have shown that the number of Israelis seeking European passports has increased to unprecedented levels, in addition to an increase in their requests for immigration visas and permanent residence.
While some Israelis link this phenomenon to the judicial legislation that is being implemented, others believe that the reason is the high cost of living in Israel. Among those monitoring the phenomenon are the embassies of France, the Netherlands, Romania, Portugal, Spain, Germany and Italy, which have announced an increase in requests for their passports in recent months.
In virtual reality, Facebook and WhatsApp groups dedicated to obtaining a foreign passport in preparation for immigration from Israel have proliferated. The threat to the Israeli political system has prompted many Israelis to consider an “escape plan” and to start researching possible immigration destinations. Many posts have been published seeking advice and practical answers about immigration.
Israelis are afraid of what is happening and the percentage of applications for foreign citizenship is increasing. They are rushing to get foreign passports because Israel is no longer a good place to live. Israelis are wondering about good places to buy property and places to transfer their money for investment. They are paving the way for immigration. Giora Shalge, former president of Rafael Defence Systems, affiliated to the Israeli Ministry of Security, revealed that he and his grandchildren are no longer enthusiastic about staying in Israel.
Until recently, emigrating from Israel was considered an act tantamount to treason, but this has now changed, with the result that obtaining a second passport at this stage is seen by most Israelis as a kind of insurance policy for the days to come.
In connection with the new phenomenon of Israelis obtaining foreign passports, a Jewish movement called “Leaving the Country – Together” is trying to recruit 10,000 Israelis to leave Israel against the backdrop of the legal coup. Yaniv Gorlik, one of the activists in the demonstrations against Netanyahu, and with him a Zionist Congress activist, Mordechai Kahane, an Israeli-American businessman, decided to help the Israelis leave for America. The movement believes that the time has come to provide an alternative to the Zionist movement if the situation in Israel continues to deteriorate, because the results of the recent elections and the actions of the current government could destroy Israel.
The movement is calling for a move to a farm in New Jersey, where it has received dozens of immigration applications from secular Israelis who run small technology companies and want to move their offices to the US. There has been an increase in the number of people who want to leave the country for various reasons, as they face a divided country and fears of civil war. Many Jews are convinced that they have no future in Israel. Ongoing activities may be the beginning of their farewell, as they increasingly talk about packing their bags and leaving if the situation becomes more dangerous than it is now.
While Israel is actively trying to bring thousands of Jews from around the world to Israel, the data on immigration from within Israel to outside Israel shows a sharp increase in numbers, in what can be called “reverse migration” for various reasons. The total number of Israelis who immigrated to other countries and are currently living abroad reached 756,000 at the end of 2020. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, between 572 and 612 thousand Israelis live outside the country, and this estimate does not include the number of those born abroad. This has rekindled Israeli fears of a decline in their numbers.
