'Encouraging Israelis abroad to return is not a government priority,' says Labor Party lawmaker Gilad Kariv
Around one million Israelis are currently living abroad amid a sharp decline in returnees, the Knesset (Israel's parliament) said on Thursday.
According to figures published on the Knesset's official website, between 571,000 and 613,000 Israelis were living abroad in 2021. The Ministry of Aliyah and Integration now estimates the number has reached around one million.
According to data from the Knesset Research and Information Center, a total of 73,189 Israelis returned to the country between 2014 and 2024 and were officially recognized as returning residents.
However, between 2020 and 2024, the number of returnees dropped by 53%, with about half coming from North America during that period.
Labor Party lawmaker Gilad Kariv, who heads the Knesset's Immigration and Absorption Committee, criticized the government's approach, saying: “Encouraging Israelis abroad to return is not a government priority.”
“We have witnessed a sharp drop in returnees since 2023, which is clearly linked to concerns over Israel's democratic and liberal identity. As long as ministers continue to undermine democratic values, fewer Israelis will choose to come back,” he said.
Kariv was referring to controversial judicial overhaul proposals introduced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, which came to power in late 2022. The plan sparked mass protests until Israel launched a full-scale military campaign in Gaza, killing nearly 58,600 people, mostly women and children, since October 2023.
“Moreover, many Israelis choose to emigrate each year. Bringing them back should be a top national priority,” Kariv added.
Israel's population currently stands at around 10 million, including 21% Arab citizens, according to official data.
