Israelis 'definitely not safer' than before, says emigrant amid Iran conflict

Since Oct. 7, 2023, security has dominated political discourse in Israel, with the government presenting its military actions as essential to national survival.

But for some Israeli critics, the outcome has been the opposite: deeper fear, growing distrust in the state's ability to protect its citizens, and a sense that daily life has become more unstable.

Recent findings by professors Itai Ater and Nitai Bergman at Tel Aviv University point to a notable rise in emigration from Israel in 2023 and 2024.

According to their research, around 99,000 Israelis left the country over that period, while fewer than 20,000 returned in 2024. More than three-quarters of those who left were under 40.

For some observers, those figures reflect not only economic or political discontent but also a broader erosion of public confidence in Israel's future.

DEEPENING INSECURITY

Hila Amit, an Israeli researcher who moved to Germany in 2011 for political reasons, told Anadolu that ordinary Israelis are "definitely not" safer today than they were before Israel's attacks on Gaza and its latest confrontation with Iran.

"I think the whole situation in Israel since 1967 has been unsafe, so I don't think there's a lot of change. It's getting worse," she said.

Amit blamed the Israeli government's policies for the deepening sense of insecurity.

"Netanyahu and his megalomaniac plans to control and make Israel a new empire, every action that the State of Israel has taken in the last few years has resulted in more death and injuries within Israeli society," she said.

She also questioned the perception that Israel's defense systems can provide protection.

"I think people are just tired and traumatized, but they are still supporting what the government is doing because of the propaganda of Zionism, which has told them for years that Iran is the most dangerous thing," she said.

She said qualified people with university degrees are leaving Israel, an observation also supported by the professors' research.

Their research shows that nearly 950 doctors and more than 3,300 engineers emigrated in the two years since October 2023. More than 21,000 emigrants held bachelor's degrees, including over 7,400 STEM graduates, the research said.

'WAR IS GOOD' FOR NETANYAHU

Amit said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's primary concern is not the safety of Israelis but the preservation of his political position.

"For three weeks, people have been in shelters. They can't even go outside to say, 'We don't agree with this,'" she said.

"For the Netanyahu government, a continuous state of war is good. It helps him stay in power," she added.

She said the war has become a political tool that keeps Israeli society focused on an "external enemy" rather than internal opposition.

Iran has responded with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and locations hosting US military assets in the region, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure.

Israel has also carried out strikes in Lebanon, where Hezbollah has launched rockets in response, raising fears of wider regional escalation.

In Gaza, Israel's military campaign since October 2023 has killed more than 72,000 people, according to local authorities.

Amit also said Israel's actions have contributed to hostility toward Israelis abroad.

Referring to videos circulating online showing Jewish people being insulted in countries they visited, she said such incidents were tied to anger over Israeli government policies.

"Those people are not anti-Semitic and think that what Israel is doing is not okay, and have decided to treat every Israeli citizen as if they are to blame for what the government is doing," she said.