Israel struggles to attract Jewish colonizers amid Gaza genocide

Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- The Israeli army radio reported a significant decline in new Jewish colonizers, with numbers dropping by 50% since the start of the Israeli genocide in Gaza, compared to the same period in the previous year.

According to data from Israel’s Ministry of Immigration and Absorption, and the Jewish Agency, the total number of new Jewish settlers during the genocide stood at approximately 31,000 from over 100 countries, marking a steep decline from the 46,000 who arrived in 2023. Israeli Walla highlighted that this represents a 50% decrease.

The data also revealed that Russia was the largest source of Jewish colonizers, with 19,850 new arrivals. Other significant contributors included the United States and Canada, which together sent 3,340 colonizers, followed by France with 1,820, Ukraine with 980, and Belarus with 795.

Nearly two-thirds of these new colonizers have settled in just six settlements: Netanya, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, Bat Yam, and Ashdod.

In the past year, from October 2023 to October 2024, Israeli institutions such as the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption, the Jewish Agency, the World Zionist Organization, and the Ofek organization, in collaboration with immigrant associations, launched various initiatives to encourage Jewish migration to Israel.

However, Israel currently faces unprecedented security challenges. The ongoing military offensive on Gaza is nearing its one-year mark, and hostilities with Lebanese resistance forces on the northern border are escalating. Additionally, drone and ballistic missile attacks on Jewish settlements in Israel from Yemen and Iraq have intensified.

Last week, the Israeli newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth” reported alarming statistics from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, showing an increase in the number of Israelis leaving the occupation state for extended stays abroad. The number of departures is rising, while the number of returning Israelis is declining. This trend is expected to accelerate in the coming year.

The Central Bureau of Statistics revealed that 2024 has seen a 58.9% increase in the number of Israelis leaving for long-term stays abroad compared to 2023. In 2023, around 55,300 Israelis left, with only 27,800 returning.

In August, Yedioth Ahronoth also reported a growing trend of Israeli settlers leaving the country, driven by escalating security threats, the ongoing Gaza genocide, a declining quality of life, and deepening internal divisions. The report indicated that nearly one million Israelis have left since October 2023.

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