Pars Today – On November 27, Middle East Eye published a report examining the challenges facing Tel Aviv following Israel’s 12-day war against Iran.
According to Pars Today, the Middle East Eye report highlights two simultaneous crises in the occupied Palestinian territories:
Slow and challenging reconstruction following the imposed war against Iran
A widespread wave of migration among young elites and specialists
Reconstruction challenges
According to The Marker newspaper, five months after the end of the 12-day war with Iran, Israel is still grappling with its widespread consequences. Around 700 people lost their homes due to Iranian missile strikes, and government authorities are still trying to find a way to rebuild these destroyed properties.
The Israeli cabinet recently proposed a plan for the demolition and reconstruction of damaged homes, allowing residents to either move into new apartments or sell them at their updated value. However, political disagreements with religious parties—which had previously left the coalition over the issue of Haredi youth conscription—have cast doubt on the approval of this plan. Residents in some areas, including Haifa, report that the reconstruction process has stalled, with cases of looting even reported. One citizen stated:
“The damage didn’t end the day the missile hit; it continues to this day.”
According to statistics, around 50,000 damage claims have been submitted to the Property Tax Authority, 39,000 of which relate to homes. Israeli media estimate that the total damages amount to approximately 5 billion shekels (about $1.53 billion).
Elite migration
Israeli media report that since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, nearly 200,000 people have left the occupied Palestinian territories.
A recent study by Tel Aviv University indicates that a large portion of these migrants are young individuals from upper economic classes. Over the past year, approximately 900 doctors, more than 19,000 university graduates, and over 3,000 engineers have left the occupied Palestinian territories. According to the report, 75% of the migrants are under 40 years old.
This trend is concerning for Israel’s healthcare system, which has already faced a severe shortage of doctors. Estimates indicate that over the past year alone, the government lost approximately 1.5 billion shekels ($459 million) in individual income tax revenues due to migration.
If this trend continues, Israel may face “serious macroeconomic consequences due to the loss of essential human capital.” A similar wave of migration is observed in the technology sector; in the past year alone, more than 8,000 tech specialists have migrated to the U.S., Canada, and Germany.