The Israeli construction industry has reportedly asked the government to allow companies to recruit 1 lakh Indian workers to replace the 90,000 Palestinians. This came after work permits had been cancelled since the start of the war following the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7.

 

“Right now, we are negotiating with India. We are waiting for the decision of the Israeli government to approve that. And, we hope to engage 50,000 to 100,000 workers from India to be able to run the whole sector and bring it back to normal,” a Voice of America report from the West Bank quoted the vice-president of the Israel Builders Association, Haim Feiglin, as saying.

 

The minister of external affairs of India didn't respond to the report immediately.

 

According to the report, Palestinians make up roughly 25 per cent of the workforce employed by the Israeli construction industry.

 

 

“We are at war and the Palestinian workers, which are about 25 per cent of our human resources in the sector, are not coming, are not permitted to work in Israel,” Feiglin said.

 

About 10 per cent of the Palestinian workers are from Gaza — which is at the centre of the conflict —and the rest are from the West Bank.

 

In May, Israel signed a deal with India that will allow 42,000 Indians to work in Israel – especially in the construction sector, besides nursing.

 

"The ministers also signed agreements to allow the arrival of 42,000 Indian workers in the fields of construction and nursing," according to a Hebrew press statement from the Israeli foreign ministry.

 

The Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Temporary Employment of Workers in Specific Labour Market Sectors in Israel was initiated on May 9 during Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen’s India visit.