When the article refers to lack of hope for young people, dried up academia, failing health services, high cost of living and government incompetence , must be Refering to the nations that make up the EU. In the UK last year we had the obscenity of parading the glories of the NHS at the Olympic Opening Ceremony, when it really should be called the National Death Service

Emigration is down due to global economic slowdown, it's harder to get a job in US or Europe, it has nothing to do with fantastic live in Israel. The truth is almost 1 million Israelis got foreign citizenship within last 5 years, just in case. That's not a good sign, despite spectacular quality of life in Israel.

Israel has known harder times, the 50;s when there was no food or housing, the 60 when there was no work (65-67) the 70's and 80's when inflation was 20% PER MONTH. Today's youth feed with silver spoons are complaining since they must do with copper spoons. There are people n the world with no spoons at all.

The perception is that things will get worse: services might be good now but not in 10 years when my kids start high school and certainly not in 30 years when I hope to retire. It's not normal that everyone I meet asks why the hell did I move here and talk about getting out. There's no hope. There's no direction. There's no leader. Those are the facts. Israeli pride accounts for the high results on the happiness index.

So true. Kudos.

I work in academia here and all the young couples I meet here are happy with living in Israel, but some will leave if offered a job with more money as a professor in the States. And always some pretend life is better there (I lived in the States for a long time so I know this is mostly a misplaced fantasy). Especially the russians which didn't show up for the social protests, and we don't have rich parents buying apartments for us, know that this complaining is garbage if you really think about your situation and how you compare with the rest of the world (especially in this global downturn). The cottage cheese zombies want to convince us with their bleating that we live in a terrible country when we know that if we work hard, and even if we don't earn enough, Israel is still better than a lot of other places from a material and social perspective.

Where do you get your statistics from? Remember that Israel has a large immigrant population who have and retain foreign passports and citizenship after they arrive so its not indicative of satisfaction with life in Israel. I am very happy in Israel even though I still retain my original Australian citizenship

Netanyahu has spent almost 20 years doing his best to undermine any hope of peace and empower the Haredim. Is it any wonder many Israelis wonder whose country they're living in? If the only benefit a state provides is freedom from persecution as a Jew, there are many states which compete favourably, even Germany. Get rid of Bibi, keep our citizens.

As a Gallus Jew lbut very proIsrael I can attest to Three of my pfriends whonhave made Aliyah Religious with great children much more stable than the Seculars here and a roll with the punches attitude .As for corruption and crime it's everywhere and Bnai Brak for all its faults and hidden depravaties hasn't got even a Police Station.At Twenty thousand per square kilometre that's not bad .They are human after all.Also Israel seems up to date in military innovation.The big problem is after the Shoah the rich in the Gallus and Moguls in Israel are not contributing to the Jewish Survival future fund in Israel.Corruption plays a Part and needs working on.

whining and bitching is the only thing that some people know , especially if reality proves them wrong . israel has been going from success to success in the past 65 years despite occasional setbacks and problems . from almost nothing in 1948 , it has built world class industries , universities , social and health services , and military forces . israel is certainly NOT a dreary place to be in .

and because things were harder on the past your governments (it's not mine anymore) raise your taxes meanwhile spends more on...ice cream? I don't know what silver spoon are you guys seeing, because people (your people ) is hungry!!!!

feeling their grip on our nation slipping day by day. It is only puzzling why these "poisoners of our wells" are still allowed to dominate the media, TV in particular.

The big lie campaign will never stop prophecy fullfillment on the Aliya. Every good work, always has Challenges and some resistance. Please let the Government counter the lie with improving the weak points/areas that are being used to base the lie.

Silver spoons? Uh, no. You are wrong. In US at 19 years old, I could afford to drive a decent car, pay bills for that car, rent and apartment with one roommate and still go to school part-time. I had NO financial help from my parents. I still ate out and bought clothes. In Israel, being 28 years old and married, I have accepted help from my parents twice in the past year and have not stepped a foot inside a clothing store in over 9 months. Thousands of people who are running away to greener pastures cannot all be wrong and spoiled. Life is very very very difficult in Israel.

"Many have resumed recently the jabbering about the State torturing its citizens, about the deteriorating education, about the collapsing health system, about the lack of hope for young people, about the dried-up academia, about the cost of living and about the soaring prices of real estate." This is not "jabbering"...it is merely a factual statement of the truth.

I've been wanting to make aliyah for years, but the extreme taxation, lower average salary, age disctimination & cost of living in Israel just makes it unattractive. I read countless stories of people who've made aliyah just to flee a few years later. If the US keeps imploding on itself then maybe. Whether I want to live in Israel or not, I have to stay in the place that I can provide best for my kids. Israel just isn't it right now.

I don't know anyone who thinks"there is no hope, no direction" . Do we live in the same country? For sure we might complain at the cost of daily living, but there are so many wonderful things in this country too that for now we can put up with that . I suggest you get out of Tel Aviv quick, get some new friends and start looking at the half full cup for a change. You've obviously forgotten about all the sh*t that there is abroad, and there is a lot.

Iam one of those that chose to leave Isarel with my family and children, The parting of Israel is the best move we have made, Our lives are stress free from the chaos that exists in Israel. our financial situation is much greator then it was in Israel. We have encouraged many of our former colleagues to do the same and to look for a brighter future for their children outside of Israel.

Despite the incredible chutzpah of your post, which is more like a suicide note if you ask me, i'll still keep a spot for you and your kids here in Israel. Kobi, wake up dude, wash that cynicism off your face.

Would you care to list at least five "wonderful things here in Israel". Interested in seeing your reply.

And the media needs to moan to sell it's merchandise. This is no different from any other country in the world. I am one of the majority who love Israel and wouldn't live anywhere else. But I also have no problem complaining about the different problems....like Segal's right-wing hysteria.

There are people who have no heart and soul and no loyalty. If things get bad in his beloved America, he'll flee to Australia. If it gets bad there.... He belongs to nothing except his own perceived comfort and advantages. Such people are spiritual and moral zeroes. It's very good that Israel has a natural-selection mechanism whereby it gets rid of them, known as yerida.

You are blind and can't face the reality What future in Israel do you actually see??? Wake up!

I am not a poor man..I've made my money although you wouldn't know it were you to see how I live. There are many like me to live in the golus who hide under the radar because the goy here is nothing to write home about. My kids understood that so they chose to live in Israel and to make their lives there. I don't blame them, although I do miss them and of course I worry about their well being. The point is, Israel is the only future for the Jew. People have been leaving Israel forever and in spite of that the Jewish population in Israel keeps on growing. That's the bottom line.

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you!

in Israel is the "occupation" and the "settlers", of course. When the "palestinians" have their state (may it never happen) and the settlements are dismantled, than life will be much better and Israelis will be able to smile again, even with Scuds and Qassams falling on Tel Aviv.

1. We moved into our home in Samaria and immediatly people were welcoming us with food, breads, cakes, etc. This was rather shocking for me, having come from the self-enclosed bubble that most Americans live in. 2. Enjoying multicultural events (weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, etc.) and especially the amazing FOOD. 3. Cab drivers who would crack me up from laughing with their stories 4. Seeing the joy on my Ethiopian colleagues faces the first time they ever experienced snow. 5. Becoming the "adopted son" of a family on a kibbutz. Need some more? I've got plenty.

are the ones who rush to illegally work in malls across the US, for 10-12 hours a day, sharing a crammed apartment, for a moderate wage.... but they're in the US and partying in some place new, so to them its paradise, but not a career nor a place to set up a life. I've met many Israelis who are the in US for PhD studies or as professors at universities. That's a revolving door and as many come, many go back to Israel.