| Consequences. Even if certain parties were interested in preemptively surrendering to bring back their accustomed Palestinian workers, regardless how risky in part or in whole. |
[LI] Jerusalem Post: "Thousands of laborers are expected to work in the embattled construction sector, which relied almost exclusively on Palestinian workers before the war."
Thousands of Indian nationals are set to replace Palestinian workforce, which fell out in the wake of the October 7 massacre.
"An influx of Indian workers is expected to arrive in Israel in the coming weeks as part of an effort to overcome a labor shortage due to the Israel-Hamas war," the Jerusalem Post reported earlier this month, "Thousands of laborers are expected to work in the embattled construction sector, which relied almost exclusively on Palestinian workers before the war."
The replacement of workforce from Gaza and the West Bank is matter of Israel’s national security. Evidence suggests that Hamas misused Israel’s work permit program to carry out reconnaissance on bordering Jewish communities ahead of the attack. Several of the terrorists who entered Israel on October 7 were holders of work-permits and had intimate knowledge of the security measures in place.
Israel’s government-backed agency, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), conducted recruitment drives in several Indian states. Jerusalem is looking for skilled workers, such as plumbers, electricians and masons, along with agricultural and constructions workers.
"Thousands of Indians flocked to a recruitment center [located in northern India] ... for jobs that would take them to Israel despite the ... Israeli-Hamas war (...)," the Associated Press reported in late January, describing the scene as one such drive. "Many among the crowd of men, mostly skilled construction workers and laborers, said they would take their chances in a country embroiled in war as they are struggling to find jobs in India, where unemployment remains high despite a swelling economy."
|