Why Indian workers going to Israel despite the war?

Indian Workers in Israel

Indian workers are going to Israel to work and make a living, despite the war

It was a misty and bitterly cold winter morning in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, India. Hundreds of workers who came to apply for jobs were waiting in line to register and take assessments at the government-run industrial training college.

Sunil Kumar, a 42-year-old father of three, has been working as a bricklayer in India’s big cities, working hard to repay the loan to build his family’s house. With a meager salary of US$300 per month, he could not repay the loan or provide his children with a quality education.

When he heard about the opportunity to work in Israel, with a monthly salary of US$1,648, accommodation, and medical benefits, he couldn’t wait to take the recruitment exam.

After the exam, he called his family and told them he had been selected to work in Israel.

“Now I can pay off all my debts and send my children to a good school,” the bricklayer, who has been working in different cities in India for more than 24 years, told the media.

Hundreds of men like Sunil, carrying backpacks and lunch bags, lined up to take exams for construction jobs in Israel, including plasterers, steel workers, and tile layers.

The enthusiasm of job-seeking workers reflects the employment pressure in India, even though these people know that Israel is currently at war with Hamas.

“Israel is a developed country, so I believe they will protect us, and with such a high salary, it’s okay to take some risks,” Kumar said.

Job seekers waiting in line are part of India’s vast and precarious informal economy, where workers move around year-round without formal contracts and benefits.

In the long queue, many job seekers even have college degrees, but it is still difficult to find a stable job. They have to work as temporary workers at construction sites, working about 15 to 20 days a month, earning 10 to 12 US dollars a day.

Fifteen recruiters from Israel will hold job fairs for a week starting on January 23 and are expected to recruit 5,000 to 10,000 steel workers, bricklayers, plasterers, and carpenters.

The recruitment event is facilitated by the local government’s Department of Vocational Education and Skills Development.

“We don’t know much about the company that hired us or where we live. We have full trust in the government, and they sent us,” said Ramveer Sharma, a bricklayer.

It is clear that concerns about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas have been replaced by more practical financial needs.

“Risk is everywhere, and we have to take risks. I can’t sit at home and let my family starve,” Sharma said. He doesn’t think construction activity will happen in the border areas anyway, and he won’t end up in Israel’s tense work near the border. “Why would the Modi government send us to some unsafe places?”

“Having a good job is more important than worrying about falling into a conflict zone,” said 38-year-old Ram Avtar Yadav from the neighboring district of Konda. “I believe that in the event of danger, the Modi government will rescue us.”

The conflict between Israel and Hamas has lasted for more than 100 days. After the program was launched, the work permits of a large number of Palestinians who originally worked in Israel were revoked. Israel’s construction industry is looking for workers from India and other countries to fill the void left by the Palestinians.

Another worker in the queue was 35-year-old Amit Prasad. He was a steelworker who came from 100 miles away and seemed ecstatic. He said, “I have three sisters to marry. How much money can my father make as a farmer? It’s good; even workers with limited experience like us have the opportunity to work abroad, and the salary is high and there are other benefits.”

Arvind Kumar Rai, a 35-year-old mason from Deoria, said: “It was money that forced me to go to Israel. I have four children, and they need to complete their studies and find good jobs. It doesn’t matter if I work in Bahrain, Qatar, or Israel.”

“The response has been positive. Apart from those who have already applied, there are many applications,” Raj Kumar Yadav, director of the Government Job Training College in Aliganj, which organized and coordinated the recruitment drive, told the media. The applicants keep coming. Many private institutions refuse to provide their premises for recruitment activities, but our college has taken up the challenge and helps our workers find employment opportunities.”

If all goes well, Israel may be able to increase its recruitment in India to 10,000 people.

However, Israel’s practice of recruiting workers in India during the war was not without controversy. The controversy involves both risk and ethical aspects. Critics charge that India’s arrangement with Israel could endanger workers by sending them to conflict zones while also indirectly helping Israel deprive Palestinian workers of their jobs.

The Indian government, which has forged closer ties with Israel in recent years, has had to defend the recruitment drive in the face of criticism.

Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “We have partnerships with many countries around the world on migrant labor. Now we have also signed an agreement with Israel. This agreement started before the conflict broke out. put into action.”

He emphasized that there was no reason to worry about going to work in Israel. “Let me tell you, Israel’s labor laws are sound and strict and provide protection for labor rights and immigrant rights.”

Jaiswal also emphasized: “We realize that we have a responsibility to provide safety and security for those who are abroad. When the conflict broke out in Israel, we launched Operation Ajayi to provide return flights for those who wanted to return home. “He was referring to the evacuation flights. “That being said, we remain committed to ensuring the safety of our people while overseas.”

The enthusiasm of these people, who are willing to risk war and travel far away in search of work, also highlights the challenges that India faces, especially how to provide enough work opportunities for its people. India is now the most populous country in the world, with over 1.4 billion people. According to the Center for Monitoring the Indian Economy, as of December last year, the overall unemployment rate in the country was 8.65%. Among those aged 20 to 24, the unemployment rate is as high as 44%.

Sohan Kumar, a 24-year-old college graduate from Balabanki, said that he has been turned away many times when looking for a job in India, almost to the point of desperation. He said that’s why he “had been standing in the cold shivering since 5 a.m.,” hoping to pass the exam and become a carpenter in Israel.

He said, “In India, we have high unemployment rates. Although I had the required qualifications, I faced huge challenges in finding a job. I come from a poor family, and despite the potential risks of earning money, it’s important to me to come support my family.”

Another construction worker said: “After registering with the state labor department, we received a call for an interview. We want to go to Israel because they offer us good salaries.”

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