“I reached the conclusion that if I don’t do it now, it will never happen,” says Sharon, a man in his 40s who lives in the center of Israel. “I don’t see hope for this country. I never felt that I belonged and now it’s more than ever. I have had it with this place.”

Sharon plans to leave Israel and emigrate to Europe — Spain, to be exact. He plans to start a business somewhere peaceful and calm, where he can live his life, “instead of sacrificing this one and only life for politicians,” as he says.

Newsweek magazine devoted the cover of its July 29 issue to an article describing the flow of Jews out of Europe under the headline “Exodus.” Israelis look to Europe with hope, not despair, especially at a time of war. Ashkenazi Jews, or Jews of Eastern European origin, seek ways to obtain citizenship in Poland, Hungary and Germany, while Mizrahi Jews, or Jews of Middle Eastern origin, seek Spanish or French citizenship. 

“There is definitely an increase in the number of applicants in the last month. There’s always an increase in the number of applications at times of crisis,” says attorney Dan Assan, who specializes in obtaining German and Austrian citizenship for Israeli residents. “While the increase right now isn’t dramatic, we’re talking about an increase of several dozen percentages, but this is the immediate effect of war. The decision to emigrate from the country and to start a complicated process of obtaining foreign citizenship is long and complex. It could be that we will see the real impact of the war in Gaza on Israeli migration to Europe only a long time from now.”