Posted By Joseph Chamie, Barry Mirkin
Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - 5:40 PM
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Over more than six decades of statehood, successive Israeli governments have repeatedly stressed the centrality of Jewish immigration and the Law of Return of all Jews to Israel for the well-being, security, and survival of the nation. Yet while much is published on Jewish immigration to Israel, considerably less information is available about Jewish emigration from Israel.
Government estimates of the numbers of Israelis residing abroad vary greatly due mainly to the lack of an adequate recording system. Consequently, scholars and others have questioned the accuracy of government figures. Besides the statistical and methodological shortcomings, the number of Israeli expatriates is open to considerable debate and controversy because of its enormous demographic, social, and political significance both within and outside Israel.
At the lower end is the official estimate of 750,000 Israeli emigrants -- 10 percent of the population -- issued by the Israeli Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, which is about the same as that for Mexico, Morocco, and Sri Lanka. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government places the current number of Israeli citizens living abroad in the range of 800,000 to 1 million, representing up to 13 percent of the population, which is relatively high among OECD countries. Consistent with this latter figure is the estimated 1 million Israelis in the Diaspora reported at the first-ever global conference of Israelis living abroad, held in this January.
Current estimates of Israelis living abroad are substantially higher than those for the past. During Israel's first decade, some 100,000 Jews are believed to have emigrated from Israel. By 1980, Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics estimated some 270,000 Israelis living abroad for more than a year, or 7 percent of the population. Several decades later, the number of Israeli emigrants had swelled to about 550,000 -- or almost double the proportion at the end of the 1950s.
Of the Israelis currently residing abroad, roughly 60 percent are believed to have settled in North America, a quarter in Europe, and 15 percent distributed across the rest of the world. It is estimated that about 45 percent of the adult Israeli expatriates have completed at least a university degree, in contrast to 22 percent of the Israeli population. The Israeli emigrants are deemed to be disproportionately secular, liberal, and cosmopolitan. Furthermore, the emigrants are generally younger than the immigrants to Israel, especially those from the former Soviet Union, hastening the aging of Israel's population.
The often-cited reasons for Israeli emigration center on seeking better living and financial conditions, employment and professional opportunities, and higher education, as well as pessimism regarding prospects for peace. Consistent with these motives, one of the most frequently given explanations for leaving Israel is: "The question is not why we left, but why it took us so long to do so." And recent opinion polls find that almost half of Israeli youth would prefer to live somewhere else if they had the chance. Again, the most often-cited reason to emigrate is because the situation in Israel is viewed as "not good."
Another important factor contributing to the outflow of Jewish Israelis is previous emigration experience. As 40 percent of Jewish Israelis are foreign-born, emigration is nothing new for many in the country. Moreover, as Israeli emigrants cannot yet vote from abroad, they are likely to feel marginalized from mainstream Israeli society, further contributing to their decision to remain abroad as well as attracting others to do the same. Whether the Netanyahu government's effort in the Knesset to approve a bill granting voting rights to Israelis living abroad will slow the trend is uncertain.
Adding to emigration pressures, many Israelis have already taken preliminary steps to eventually leaving. One survey found close to 60 percent of Israelis had approached or were intending to approach a foreign embassy to ask for citizenship and a passport. An estimated 100,000 Israelis have German passports, while more are applying for passports based on their German ancestry. And a large number of Israelis have dual nationality, including an estimated 500,000 Israelis holding U.S. passports (with close to a quarter-million pending applications).
Population projections show that Jewish Israelis will remain the large majority in Israel for the foreseeable future. However, it will be a challenge for Jewish Israelis to maintain their current dominant majority of approximately 75 percent, primarily due to higher fertility among non-Jewish Israelis -- nearly one child per woman greater -- the depletion of the large pool of likely potential Jewish immigrants, and large-scale Jewish Israeli emigration. Consequently, demographic projections expect the Jewish proportion of the country -- which peaked at 89 percent in 1957 -- to continue declining over the coming decades, approaching a figure closer to two-thirds of the population by mid-century.
The emigration of a large proportion of a country's population, especially the well-educated and highly skilled, poses serious challenges for any nation. However, large-scale emigration is particularly problematic for Israel given its relatively small population, unique ethnic composition, and regional political context.
Moreover, not only is Israeli emigration increasing the influence of the orthodox Jewish communities, it is also boosting the need for temporary, non-Jewish foreign workers, especially in agriculture, construction, and care-giving. The presence of more than 200,000 foreign workers -- nearly half of whom are unauthorized and mainly from Asia (in particular Thailand and the Philippines, but also increasingly from Africa) -- is also contributing to the changing ethnic composition of the country.
The departure of Jewish Israelis also contributes to the undermining of the Zionist ideology. If large numbers of Jewish Israelis are opting to emigrate, why would Jews who are well integrated and accepted in other countries immigrate to Israel? Furthermore, up to a quarter of young Israelis in Europe marry outside their faith. The majority do not belong to a Jewish community and do not participate in any Jewish activities. As with other expatriate groups in Western nations, Israelis living abroad often profess their intention to return. However, Israeli emigrants are likely to remain in their adopted countries insofar as they and their families have become successfully settled and integrated.
Israeli governments have already consistently perceived immigration levels as too low and emigration levels as too high. In addition to policies encouraging immigration for permanent settlement, Israel has programs and media campaigns actively promoting the return of Israelis residing overseas. The government also maintains connections with the country's expatriates through mandatory registration in its consulates overseas and outreach programs and activities -- and provides counseling, guidance, financial assistance, and tax benefits to returning citizens.
Despite these efforts, it is doubtful based on past and current trends that these various incentives and appeals will be sufficient to entice the return of the million missing Israelis. Large-scale emigration has not only resulted in critical demographic and socioeconomic imbalances in the country, but more importantly poses grave political challenges and jeopardizes the basic Jewish character and integrity of Israel.
Joseph Chamie is research director at the Center for Migration Studies, and Barry Mirkin is an independent consultant.
Don't Listen to the Gloom and Doom Folks
Same old news. So what there's historically always been emigration from Eretz Israel. At the beginning of the state in 1948 there were 600,00 Jews here. Today around 7 million. Not bad for a growth rate. Small picture of 2 families. One had 2 children the other had 3, traditional not religious. Today those 4 great grand parents have a total of 5 children. The grand parents generation. They have a total of 15 children. The parents generation. 9 of them are married(there are's are still too young.) They have a total of 14 children, the oldest of who is 5. The children's generation. Projected on a growth rate of 6 children per family(probably a low number as these are what is euphemistically called religious/ultra religious). We'll probably see the children's generation grow to 90. Not bad 4/5/15/ 90. Who' shrinking?
Don't get fooled. G-d brought us home again. Am Yisrael Hai. The Jewish People Live!!!!!
I am new here and I just joined because this article made so much interest that it made me more politically inclined. Thanks! - Night Watch Online
More holes than a piece of Swiss cheese
"The emigration of a large proportion of a country's population, especially the well educated and highly skilled, poses serious challenges for any nation."
"Moreover, not only is Israeli emigration increasing the influence of the orthodox Jewish communities, it is also boosting the need for temporary, non-Jewish foreign workers, especially in agriculture, construction and care-giving."
Um, if those leaving are mainly college graduates, why would it have anything to do with unskilled workers in agriculture, construction and care-giving?
Answer: It doesn't. The need for foreign workers comes from the decline in the number of Palestinians working in Israel and has nothing to do with emigration. I'd take everything else the authors say with a grain of salt.
I hear Germany is inviting the Jew
I hear Germany is inviting the Jews back. Now what's wrong with that.
German Jews should live in Germany.
American Jews should live in America.
Russian Jews should live in Russia.
Poland Jews should live in Poland.
Ukranian Jews should live in Ukraine.
Palestine belongs to the Palestinians just as England belongs to the English.
Aurangzeb Khan
lalqila.wordpress.com
Most Israeli Jews were born in Israel
They're not Russian, American, Polish or Ukrainian. They're Israeli.
A wild guess: You would just throw them into the sea.
You fail to realize that the Palestinians are not solely of Arab ethnicity. Just like the Lebanese have a very diverse genetic background. A lot of research has been done on the issue and the results show that we (the Non-Aryan, Non-Slav) have very diverse genetic background. That includes the Jews that used to live in the region prior to 1948. The millions who were brought from Europe, are just that, European. And that's where they belong.
You fail to realize that the Palestinians are not solely of Arab ethnicity. Just like the Lebanese have a very diverse genetic background. A lot of research has been done on the issue and the results show that we (the Non-Aryan, Non-Slav) have very diverse genetic background original to the Middle East. That includes the Jews that used to live in the region prior to 1948. The millions who were brought from Europe, are just that, European. And that's where they belong.
Genetics prove exactly the contrary
Jews of all origins share the same background from the middle east - and are close to the Druzes and Kurds. They are not so close to Arabs.
Only a million missing Israelis? That will look like peanuts before this is over. Over the next decade or two, we will see a major exodus of Israeli Jews, and Israel will have the dubious honour of being the last of the European imperial adventures to pass into history.
Problem is that there are over 300 millions Arabs. Yep looks very gloomy :D
What the f are you babbling about? Try to stay on topic, ok pumpkin?
HAHA Arvay knows nothing of what he says
Arab Spring is working? Egypt is on the verge of starvation. Without urgent US aid the people will start doing bread riots.
Iran is sophisticated and prosperous? They are still trying to master technology the US created 70 years ago! They have no national product other than OIL. Which they can't even refine on their own. Instead they import refined oil from other countries. LOLZ.
The Iranians shoot their own people in the streets, and their Revolutionary guards have their hands in every productive industry and milk it for their own personal wealth.
They also rape the men and women in Evin Prison.
Iran finally invented a few medium range rockets! Wow, welcome to the 1950s Iran!
Egypt is up and coming? According to whom? Everyone says they are on the verge of starvation.....if that's up and coming I hate to see them on a bad day.
Israeli stalingrad? LOLZ. Thanks nostradamus for that doomsday prediction. Now, go back and bury your head in the sand.
Only you think of destroying Jews and Israel
so congrats, you are in a long line of people destined to failure. Did you shine your storm trooper boots though?
"Palestine belongs to the Palestinians just as England belongs to the English."
Who says so? Who does England belong to? Oh, do you mean the Angles and the Saxons? But they were conquered by the Normans; the Danish Vikings almost won too. Maybe the Celts should have first dibs on the land...oh, that is, until the Angles pushed them out. Who did the Celts take the land from...? And what about the Arabs...didn't they come in uninvited from a peninsula to the south?
Folks, nations are sticky things. Until the Messiah comes...or the Madhi...or (the One atheists call the sky daddy) - nations are social contracts between the governing and the governed, according to the customs and the traditions of the land. When the social fabric has been torn, time, and experience, and the political will of the people, eventually hold sway.
We know the IDF made mistakes (during wartime) that affected an exodus of 700,000 Arabs from their lands; so also the Arab League and individual Arab states made mistakes affecting the exodus of 800,000 to 1 million Jews from their lands. We're talking billions of dollars just in real estate on both sides.
Sometimes common sense isn't enough. We have to see who has the political will to win: who wants to live and who wants to die. This will probably take more generations to sort out. That's why we read Shakespeare in English instead of Beowulf in Anglo-Saxon; some civilizations succeed, while others dissolve and die.
You can't prove your side by religion; if you bring up facts or make them up, well the other side has facts and can make others up too. The UN won't help you; a nuclear bomb might. But even if they drop the big one on Israel, who's going to be around after the desolation has purified? I'll put my cards down that it will be the Jews who are left to pick up the pieces again.
If this were an article about any other country, it would be buried deep in the archive of Foreign Policy. Because its about Israel it happens to be front page.
Also, the author doesn't take into account people marrying people from other country's and moving there.
Also, a lot of Israeli's say its too hard, and if there was peace and not the constant threat of death, they would love to move back to Israel.
What a piece of Biased hate-inspired wishfull thinking B.S!
Fact - there are 550-600,000 long term emmigrants (over 5 years abroad) - according the the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Many of these emmigrants include, Yep - you guessed it - Israeli Arabs!!! (The corner grocer selling middle foods and humus in the american burb).
In addition, rates of return migration (of emmigrants) vary, but realsistic estimates of 20% make this figure even smaller. Returns are affect by israeli standards of living which are going up all the time (last 3 years, the country showed immpressive growth rate of 5%).
Fact - the Palestian statistics are sooo inflated and politically biased its not even funny.
The Jewish (especially religeous) population in the country is out re-reproducing the Arab population. In another 25 years. Israel will be able to annex Judea and Samaria and still maintain a healthy demographic majority.
Dont believe all the BS about the demographic time bomb and other doomsday predictions for Israel. Israel just continues thriving (despite the envious hatred of the left), and the world is much better place because of it!
when you can live in Newyork or London with diverse people.
Israel is a very small country. It's natural that those with marketable skills seek experience and fortune abroad.
The article is a thoughtful one. It assumes, however, that things will continue as they are. I think the proverbial flap of a butterfly's wing can result in conditions so changed that Israel will suddenly look very good to her expatriates, and to potential new Jewish immigrants. The current economic decline in the U.S., which according to many experts is likely to get much worse before it gets better, may contribute something to this movement in the near future.
Brand me an optimist if you must, but from ground level it looks to me like Israel has a very bright future. I'm sure this peace business will be worked out eventually, too.
Wrong data that makes a bad informed article
Almost all the data of the article is wrong and easily verifiable.
There aren't 1 million Israelis abrad but some 750,000 as the official number says - it's very easy to check how and why.
Moreover, 20% of them are not Jewish - many are Arabs,
The gap of fertility between Jews and Arabs in Isral is 0.5 and not 1, and it is closing very fast.
And the net immigration of Jews to Israel is positive - many Israeli Jews do come back every year to Israel.
Regarding foreign passport - it has nothing to do with emigration. I have one - just to travel easily or when you finish the army to work a few months abroad.
God forbid that there should be an outbreak of reason
According to the CIA World Factbook, Israel has net immigration of 2.08%, more than Austria but less than Greece, ranking 40 out of 220. Emmigration rank is 45. So Israel is a country with a higher than average churn, but only middling high, not extreme.
(The US emmigration rank is 185 out of 194, by the way, with a rate 1/16 of that of Israel.)
Jews are not being persecuted as they once were. Maybe you like the Tavares occasional outburst of Antisemitism, but most of these groups are fringe nuts and considered such by most of the people where they live.
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