16,000 Indian construction workers flock to Israel to earn 'three times more'

In the past one year, nearly 16,000 Indian labourers have arrived in war-torn Israel to work in the country's construction industry.

Indians are not new in Israel, they have been employed in the country for decades, as caregivers looking after elderly Israelis or they work as diamond traders and IT professionals.

But, after the Israel-Gaza war escalated, recruiters have launched a drive to bring Indians in to work in Israel's construction sector as well, said a report.

According to an AFP report, these construction workers have replaced tens of thousands of Palestinian workers, who are not allowed to enter Israel since the Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023. The entry of Indian construction labourers is also a part of an effort by the Israel government to fill the void left by Palestinian workers.

Earlier, 80,000 Palestinian workers and 26,000 foreigners used to work in Israel. But after the Hamas attack sparked off a deadly war betwen Israel and Hamas in the Gaza strip, Palestinian workers are barred from entering Israel.

The number of Indian workers, however, are low as compared to the earlier Palestinian worforce and this may eventually affect the housing sector's growth, said the report. There are only 30,000 foreigners, a number which is far below the workforce required for the growing construction industry in Israel.

Even as the Gaza war escalated, Iran-backed groups, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Huthi rebels in Yemen have also entered the war.

But the war-torn zone is not a deterrent for Indian workers like 35-year-old Raju Nishad, working as a labourer in a new neighbourhood in central Israel's town of Beer Yaakov.

According to the report, he is not "afraid" despite several air raid warnings that have sent him running for the shelters. Once the siren stops, they just resume their work, he told the news agency.

The Indian workers seem largely unperturbed that they are in the midst of a conflict zone. The attraction is the high salaries they earn in Israel, which is"three times more" than what they would back home. The money is what brings people like Nishad to flock to Israel.

However, the report also pointed out that the number of Indians working there are still very low. But Israel has plans to bring thousands more

One recruiter, who has brought 3,500 workers to Israel, told AFP that India was a natural choice for Israel given their "excellent relations".

After studying the needs of the market, the Delhi-based recruiter hoped to bring in 10,000 Indian labourers more to Israel. According to the workers who hail from UP, they can make a lot of money in a short time.

India one of the fastest growing economies in the world is struggling to generate enough full-time jobs for millions of people.

Earlier, in April this year, after a joint decision by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office (PMO), finance ministry and the construction and housing ministry, 6,000 Indian construction workers were sent to Israel.

According to a statement issued by the Israel PMO's office, the workers from India were brought to Israel under a government-to-government agreement between the countries.