Israel seeks to bring in 40,000 Indian workers to confront the workforce shortage crisis, especially in the construction and nursing sectors, waiting for the Knesset (Parliament) to approve the agreement, in order to confront the severe shortage of workers in various Israeli economic sectors, after the Al-Aqsa Flood operation launched by the Palestinian resistance against the occupation. On October 7th.
The Israeli authorities estimate an urgent and dire need for more than 100,000 workers, after the measures they have taken since the start of the aggression on the Gaza Strip and the accompanying summoning of more than 300,000 reserve soldiers who were working in various sectors, and their prevention of the work of more than 140,000 Palestinians. Inside the green line.
To urgently address this impasse, a bilateral agreement between the governments of Israel and India was presented in the Knesset a few days ago, with the aim of bringing 40,000 Indian workers to Israel to alleviate the acute shortage in the construction and nursing industries. The agreement will be put into effect as soon as possible so that the workers can arrive within weeks.
It is noteworthy that in May 2023, negotiations were announced between the Israeli and Indian governments to bring 10,000 Indian workers to Israel, divided between the construction and nursing industries. The negotiations were taking place carefully, but the recent situation in Israel accelerated the negotiations and increased the number of Indian workers required four times. .
MK Eliyahu Revivo, Chairman of the Foreign Workers Committee, who led the efforts to complete the agreement, expressed his satisfaction, saying: “We have worked tirelessly to secure this agreement, which is a lifeline for the construction and nursing industries in our complex reality.”
He added that the Foreign Workers Committee that he chairs, in cooperation with the Population and Immigration Authority, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of the Interior, has made significant progress in addressing this urgent issue, noting the importance of the matter to the Israeli economy.
Content of the agreement
The agreement includes facilitating the arrival of Indian workers to Israel, in a studied and supervised manner, in cooperation with the relevant authorities in both countries. This framework aims to prevent human trafficking and illegal brokerage fees imposed on these foreign workers during the recruitment process.
It also aims to protect their rights in accordance with labor laws, taking into account the regulations and procedures in force in each country.
The agreement further affirms that workers who enter Israel under this agreement must receive appropriate training in their areas of specialization, as stipulated in the Implementation Arrangements. They must also fully understand their obligations and rights in Israel, including the duty to return to their homeland after the expiration of the agreement. Their legal period of work in Israel.
Furthermore, the agreement stipulates that ministries or government agencies will be authorized to implement the agreement in various agreed upon sectors, and their cooperation will be in accordance with the specified implementation arrangements.
Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat was previously quoted as saying that an effort is being made to bring in 170,000 foreign workers. This measure will not be effective in the near future, as it requires procedures that take a period of several months, while the agricultural sector, which has suffered a major blow, urgently needs workers. In the farms surrounding Gaza and the south, the Ministry of Agriculture seeks to employ Israeli workers by providing incentives and asking Israelis to volunteer to save the agricultural sector.
