Israel calls on Jews in West to move to occupied territories amid reverse immigration

Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar has urged Jews in Western countries to immigrate to Israel over an alleged rise in "antisemitism” abroad, just one month after a study found that more than a quarter of Israelis are considering leaving the occupied territories.

“Today I call on Jews in England, Jews in France, Jews in Australia, Jews in Canada, Jews in Belgium: come to the Land of Israel! Come home!” Saar said in a statement on Sunday.

Saar made the remarks at a ceremony marking the final day of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, one week after a shooting at a Jewish event in Sydney killed 15 people and injured dozens of others.

During the attack, a Muslim bystander intervened and disarmed one of the attackers, potentially saving multiple lives. Police said the attackers were inspired by the Daesh terrorist group.

“Jews have the right to live in safety everywhere. But we see and fully understand what is happening, and we have a certain historical experience. Today, Jews are being hunted across the world,” Saar claimed.

Following the Sydney shooting, many social media users argued that Israel’s actions are contributing to a rise in what are labeled as “antisemitic” incidents, saying Israel is exploiting the attack to justify its atrocities against Palestinians and to push for a crackdown on anti-genocide protests.

‘Israeli actions, not Iran, fuel anti-Semitism’: Netizens react to Jewish holiday attack in Sydney

After the deadly shooting at a Jewish holiday event in Australia, social media reactions emphasized that Israel’s actions were fueling anti-Semitism.

Australia and several Western countries have witnessed widespread public outrage over Israel’s two-year-long genocide against Palestinians, with large-scale protests erupting in major cities since October 2023.

Demonstrators have condemned the mass killing of civilians, the destruction of homes, and the Israeli regime’s ongoing war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

Saar’s remarks come at a time when a recent study found that more than a quarter of Israelis consider leaving the occupied territories, citing growing insecurity and Israel’s escalating aggression on multiple fronts.

The study, conducted by an Israeli research institute and published on November 23, found that 27 percent of Israelis are contemplating departure from the occupied lands.

An October 2025 Ynet report, drawing on data from the Knesset’s Research and Information Center, revealed a steep negative migration balance between 2020 and 2024, with 145,900 more Israelis leaving than returning. Annual outflows hit record highs, reaching 82,800 in 2023 and 49,000 in the first eight months of 2024.

Knesset member Gilad Kariv described the phenomenon as “a tsunami.”

These concerns underpinned the November 6 announcement by far-right Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who called for a two-year zero-income-tax incentive for immigrants and returning residents arriving in 2026, a measure framed as essential to counter an unprecedented settler exodus.

The official figures show that despite 54,000 new immigrants since the start of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, departures have sharply outpaced arrivals. Ministry data and lawmakers alike warn that eight in 10 Israelis abroad have no intention to return.

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