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This Week in AsiaEconomics

India’s trade unions slam Israel’s ‘immoral and disastrous’ need for more Indian workers amid war

  • Activists and union leaders question Israel’s labour ban on Palestinian workers and why Indian workers are being recruited amid a conflict
  • But some Indian workers view working in Israel as a chance to escape poverty and improve their economic outlook, despite the risks

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Indian workers gather to seek employment in Israel during a recruitment drive at the Industrial Training Institute in Lucknow, capital of India’s Uttar Pradesh state. Photo: AFP
Durdana BhatandKamran Yousuf
Israel’s ban on tens of thousands of Palestinians from employment within its borders has resulted in a labour crisis, after more than 100 days of the Israel-Gaza war, with a recruitment campaign to hire Indian workers proving to be contentious.
Opposition from Indian trade unions has sparked a debate in India, with arguments of humanitarian concerns versus economic opportunities. The controversy centres on ethical considerations and highlights the complex dynamics of international labour recruitment.
Activists and union leaders have questioned Israel’s labour ban on Palestinians and move to hire more Indian workers amid a conflict, and highlighting the need to prioritise the safety and well-being of Indian workers.
Indian workers wait to submit registration forms in Lucknow as they seek employment in Israel. Photo: AFP
Indian workers wait to submit registration forms in Lucknow as they seek employment in Israel. Photo: AFP

Sucheta De, activist and national vice-president of the All India Central Council of Trade Unions, stressed the need to examine the rationale behind sending Indian workers to Israel during the conflict, considering the threat to their safety and the comparatively peaceful conditions in India.

She also drew attention to Operation Ajay that saw some 1,200 Indian citizens return to India from Israel in October last year as the war escalated.

Some Indian workers, however, view the opportunity to work in Israel as a chance to escape poverty and improve their economic outlook, despite the risks.

In November last year, Vikas, 37, a construction worker from Panipat, Haryana interviewed for various jobs in India, such as with the police, the Border Security Force and Central Reserve Police Force.

But he did not receive any job offers and is now eyeing opportunities in Israel. Despite the war, the “pressing circumstances of unemployment and family responsibilities have forced me to take the risk and seek employment in Israel”, he said.

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