WEST BANK (Dispatches) – The number of Zionists who left the Israeli-occupied territories permanently surged 285 percent following October 7, according to data published in the Times of Israel. 
Reports from Channel 12 News, based on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), indicate an unprecedented increase in October 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.
Latest reports of the exodus of Israelis confirm data published two months after the October 7 attack which showed that nearly half a million people left the occupied territories. It also showed a significant decline in the number of Jewish immigrants arriving in the occupied territories. A second survey among Israelis living abroad conducted in March by the Hebrew University on the initiative of the World Zionist Organisation revealed that 80 percent said that they do not intend to return to the occupied territories.  
The data from CBS suggests that many Zionists who have the option of a home abroad choose to relocate during times of heightened conflict, seeking safety and stability elsewhere. This trend stands in stark contrast to the claims made by proponents of Zionism who argue that Israel is the ultimate sanctuary for Jews worldwide.
There was also an increase in Zionists moving abroad in the months before the war, amid mass protests against the regime’s judicial overhaul plan, with an increase of 51 percent in June-September 2023 compared to 2022.
Despite the initial spike in departures, the trend is said to have reversed in the following months. Between November 2023 and March 2024, 30,000 Zionists left the occupied territories permanently, marking a 14 percent decrease from the same period the previous year. Additionally, there was a 21 percent decrease in Israelis returning from abroad during this time, with 8,898 returning between October 2023 and March 2024 compared to 11,231 the previous year.
Channel 12 points out that the CBS data counts Israelis who left the occupied territories, did not return over the subsequent ten months, and established their lives abroad, thus indicating trends rather than immediate causes. It also notes that the decision to emigrate is complex and not necessarily tied to a single event, as such decisions typically involve several months of planning.