Israel has kicked off a drive to recruit 10,000 Indian construction workers. They will join a similar number who were hired in an earlier initiative, as the country faces a labor shortfall due the ongoing conflict with Palestine.
Israel suspended the visas of most of its Palestinian workers following last year’s deadly October 7 Hamas attack, which triggered its ongoing war against the Gaza-based militant group.
In May 2023, New Delhi and West Jerusalem entered an agreement that would allow 42,000 Indians to work in construction and nursing in the Jewish state.
This is India’s second drive to recruit workers from India. In the first round of hiring, 10,349 construction workers were selected out of a pool of 16,000 applicants. The initial drive was conducted in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Telangana. The latest initiative focuses on four specific job roles: framework, iron bending, plastering, and ceramic tiling, The Economic Times noted in a report on Monday.
New recruits are being sought out in Pune, in the state of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister of the state said on Saturday.
Notably, last week officials announced plans for a massive semiconductor manufacturing project in Maharashtra, in which Israel’s Tower Semiconductor and the Indian conglomerate Adani Group are planning to invest around $10 billion.
Indian construction workers are being lured to Israel with higher wages. While they earn $150-$300 per month at home, Israel is offering at least $1,600 per month.
Last week, Israel’s embassy in India claimed the country was “satisfied” with the workforce that had already arrived under the bilateral agreement. It also noted that “reports” received by its offices “reveal that the majority of Indian construction workers are satisfied with their work conditions and salaries.”
Israel is also looking to hire 5,000 carers who have been certified by recognized institutions, according to media reports. As of February last year, there were around 18,000 Indians in Israel, primarily caregivers employed by elderly Israelis in need of daily assistance, as well as some diamond traders, IT professionals and students, according to the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv.