Hunger wins over fear for thousands of Indians seeking employment in Israel

Thousands of Indians from their country are looking for a job in Israelwhere the war with Hamas caused a shortage of labor, preferring to expose themselves to the eventual dangers that the conflict in the Middle East may bring to them rather than “starve” in India.

“I will smile and take a bullet, but for 150,000 rupees” (about $1,800), Deepak Kumar told AFP, at a training and recruitment center in Lucknow, 500 km east of New Delhi, full of people willing to emigrate. .

In Indiathe rule is “work four days, eat two,” explains this tiler, who claims to be aware of the risks of leaving for Israelat war against Hamas for almost four months.

Although India It is the fifth largest economy in the world and one of the fastest growing, millions of people cannot find full-time work.

About 22% of Indian employees are “casual workers,” with an average monthly salary of 7,899 rupees ($95), according to government data.

Therefore, the hope of being hired as a skilled worker in Israelwith the prospect of multiplying his salary by 18, is stronger than the danger.

”If it is written that we must die, we will die there. At least our children will have something,” says Jabbar Singh, a motorcycle mechanic. “It’s better than going hungry here.”

– Hire 10,000 Indians –

The Indian embassy in Tel Aviv claims that some 18,000 Indians already work in Israel, mostly in the personal care sector, but also in the diamond sector or artificial intelligence. There are also those who are students.

New profiles are now being sought, in the construction sector, since the war led to the repatriation of thousands of workers to Asia, the mobilization of many Israeli reservists and the suppression of work permits for Palestinians.

According to Raj Kumar Yadav, head of the Industrial Training Institute in Lucknow, Israel is looking for at least 10,000 skilled construction workers, with salaries of up to 140,000 rupees ($1,685). a charter flight,” and thus “10,000 families will have food,” he says.

The number of volunteers is increasing more and more. “On the first day we had about 600 candidates, of which more than 300 were selected. […] Today, there are between 1,200 and 1,300 candidates,” says MA Khan, in charge of worker placement at the Lucknow Institute.

– “Red zone” –

As job seekers queue up in Lucknow, Israel intensifies its offensive 4,500 km away, in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas, which carried out a bloody attack on its territory on October 7, killing some 1,140 people, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Hamas also kidnapped about 250 hostages. Dozens of Thai and Nepalese farm workers were killed or kidnapped.

Many foreign workers fled after the attack, leaving agriculture without an important source of labor. Israel also withdrew work permits from 130,000 Palestinian border workers.

”I know I’m going to a red zone. But I have to feed my family,” summarizes Keshav Das. “If not, my children will die of hunger,” he says. “There is no work here.”