Israel will create a large “wave” of Palestinian immigrants: “We will take Indian workers”

Consequences of the Gaza War between Israel and Hamas not yet felt in most European countriesbut in the coming months a new tsunami of migration is expected, and Greece has already agreed to accept a number of Palestinians.

In addition to the Palestinians in Gaza who are now homeless and jobless and are looking for any way to leave the Gaza Strip, there are also Palestinians who have been living in Israel for years but have now lost their work permits due to recent events.

In fact, Israel is already preparing for the next day and immediately asking India to provide 100,000 workers to replace the Palestinian workers who are no longer allowed to work in Israel. Israel and India signed an agreement in May to allow 42,000 Indians to work in the Jewish state. This agreement will be honored.

A Voice of America report from the West Bank quoted Chaim Feiglin, vice president of the Israeli Builders Association, as saying: “We are currently negotiating with India.”

The Israeli construction industry has asked the Tel Aviv government to allow companies to hire up to 100,000 Indian workers to replace 90,000 Palestinians whose work permits were revoked following the October 7 Hamas attack, Telegraph India reports.

Chaim Feiglin confirmed this: “We are waiting for the Israeli government’s decision to approve it.” He said they hope to hire 50,000 to 100,000 workers from India to be able to manage the entire construction sector and bring it back to normal.

The October 7 War has created a huge gap in Israel’s workforce, which is rushing to fill it with Indian help. India’s foreign ministry did not respond to questions about Israel’s request or say whether the country’s government would allow Indians to move to the conflict zone to work during the current unrest.

Work has been suspended since October 7 because Palestinians make up about 25 percent of the workforce employed in the Israeli construction industry. “We are at war, and Palestinian workers, who make up about 25 percent of our workforce in this sector, are not coming, they are not allowed to work in Israel.” Feiglin continued.

About 10% of Palestinian workers are from Gaza, and the rest are from the West Bank. It goes without saying that most of these Palestinians will not return to Gaza or the West Bank, but will seek work in one of the European countries.

Although the war is cited as the reason for the search for Indian workers, Tel Aviv has been following this path for several months. Back in May 2023, he signed an agreement with India that will allow 42,000 Indians to work in Israel, especially in the construction sector, which is experiencing labor shortages. But now even more are needed.

During Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen’s visit to India on May 9, a framework agreement was signed to facilitate temporary employment of workers in specific sectors of the Israeli labor market. This was the first time that the Israeli construction industry opened up the labor market to Indians, who had previously worked primarily as caregivers. The agreement also includes junior medical personnel.

Before its signing, this agreement had been in development for more than a year. In March, a multi-ministerial Israeli delegation visited India and toured educational institutions across the country. According to Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority, the workers who arrived from India were diligent, experienced and fluent in English, the Middle East onitor reported.

Foreign workers are increasingly favored by Palestinians because they provide a safety net against the frequent disruptions caused by frequent border closures to and from Gaza and the West Bank. Now that the war continues, Palestinians will never be able to find work in Israel.

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