65% rise in Israelis looking to leave country

Official figures have revealed a huge increase in the number of Israelis applying to leave the country, a 65% jump recorded in 2014.

Data from government departments and Israeli embassies showed hundreds more Israelis asking to leave last year than in the preceding year, with popular destinations including Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, the US and the UK.

Reasons given on the 765 applications from 2014, of which 130 were ultimately refused, included not wanting to hold dual citizenship. Jews cannot apply for employment in sensitive positions in their countries if they also hold Israeli citizenship, as dual passport holders are barred from certain high-security jobs.

Alhough the Israeli diaspora is growing in Berlin, London and Barcelona, the trend is hardly new, says demographer Sergio DellaPergola, with some 700,000 Israelis having abandoned the Promised Land since its creation.