The Israelis want to leave. They are afraid of changes
The judicial reform enforced by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resulted in 37% of Israelis considering leaving the country - according to data published this week by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI).
Sep 28, 2023 | updated: 9:13 AM EDT, October 5, 2023
In a year characterized by mass protests and social polarization caused by judiciary reform, as well as controversies at the intersection of religion and politics, the JPPI report paints a disturbing picture of Israeli society - reports "Jerusalem Post".
Lack of comfort, emigration is the rescue
The newspaper notes, that the most alarming is the dramatic reduction of Israeli citizens' living comfort in their own country. Over the last year, the percentage of people who don't feel comfortable increased from 20 to 32 percent, while the proportion of people who feel comfortable fell from 76 to 65 percent.
As a result, many Israelis are considering emigration as the only possible solution to the problems they face in their homeland. 37 percent of citizens are considering obtaining a foreign passport and leaving the country, and this number is even higher among people who already have foreign passports. According to the Jewish People Policy Institute, this is an alarming number, underlining the deepening crisis in the country.
Direction: Portugal
According to the Polish Press Agency, Israelis make up the largest group of people applying for citizenship in Portugal. According to statistics from the Portuguese immigration and border service (SEF), the number of Israeli citizens applying for a Portuguese passport reached 20,975 in 2022. This is more than the 18,591 applicants from Brazil, whose population is over 20 times larger than Israel's and has long-standing cultural ties with Portugal, including a common language - notes "Times of Israel".
Source: PAP, Jerusalem Post
