Friday World January 6, 2026
In January 2026, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid delivered a stark warning during a special debate in the Knesset, revealing that approximately **200,000 Zionist settlers** have abandoned the occupied Palestinian territories (including the West Bank and East Jerusalem) over the past three years since October 2023. Lapid described this exodus as an "unprecedented wave of negative migration," signaling a deep and serious crisis for the State of Israel.
→ This mass departure is directly linked to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the prolonged Gaza war that followed. Lapid emphasized that Israel's current economic and social conditions have deteriorated far beyond the levels seen three years ago—even before the war. Skyrocketing cost of living, declining education quality, growing personal security concerns, and persistent inflation have left young, educated, and tax-paying settlers deeply disillusioned and hopeless.
Lapid launched a fierce attack on Prime Minister **Benjamin Netanyahu**'s government, accusing it of causing "the collapse of an entire generation." He criticized the massive budget allocations wasted on subsidies for ultra-Orthodox communities and unnecessary ministries, while the everyday livelihood crisis facing ordinary Israelis was completely ignored. "This is the downfall of a whole generation," Lapid declared.
→ According to data from Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), in the past year alone, **69,300 settlers** have left the country. The majority are young, highly educated, high-income taxpayers, many of whom serve in the military reserves. Among them are **875 doctors** and **3,000 engineers**. The technology and high-tech sectors—Israel's economic engine—have been hit especially hard, with significant emigration recorded in 2025.
The "brain drain" phenomenon has reached alarming levels since the Gaza war. The outflow of academics, scientists, and tech professionals now far exceeds new arrivals. One report estimates that between 2022 and August 2024, Israel suffered a net loss of more than **125,000 citizens** through emigration. The trend continued strongly into 2025, with over **69,000 Israelis** leaving the country in that year alone.
→ The high-tech industry has been particularly devastated. Following the Gaza conflict, employees of multinational companies based in Israel have increasingly requested international relocations or sought new jobs abroad. According to a report by the financial daily Calcalist, a large portion of those who emigrated in 2025 came from the technology and advanced industries. This represents a strategic threat to Israel, as the high-tech sector accounts for a major share of the country's GDP, exports, and tax revenue.
Lapid called this phenomenon an "entire emigration movement." He warned that if the situation is not reversed, it could turn into a "tsunami" with irreversible consequences. Experts attribute the surge in departures to a combination of the Gaza war, prolonged political instability, the controversial judicial overhaul, and mounting economic pressures. In 2025, Israel's total population reached **10.178 million**, but net migration remained sharply negative.
→ This is far more than a statistical issue—it reflects profound challenges to Israel's future. The loss of young talent is already damaging research, innovation, and national security capabilities. Lapid framed it as a direct failure of the Netanyahu government and stressed that leadership change in the 2026 elections is essential to halt the decline.
The ongoing crisis illustrates how the Gaza war and its aftermath have severely weakened Israel's internal resilience. While settler emigration continues to rise, Israel's global image and long-term economic stability are also coming under serious question. Lapid's warning is clear: without urgent reforms, this "unprecedented crisis" will only deepen further.
Sajjadali Nayani ✍
Friday World January 6, 2026
