TRANSCRIPT
Thousands of Indians have flocked to a recruitment centre for jobs that would take them to Israel, despite the three-month Israeli-Hamas war devastating Gaza and threatening to ignite the wider Middle East.
Many among the crowd of men, mostly skilled construction workers and laborers, say they will take their chances in a country embroiled in war as they are struggling to find work in India, where unemployment remains high despite a swelling economy.
Anoop Singh, a college graduate and construction worker, says he was told he would make over AU$2,400 a month if he was selected to go to Israel — significantly more than the $550 to $640 he could get as a monthly wage for the same work in India.
“There's danger where we live, and danger in Israel as well. But I want to go so that I can do something for my kids. We have been told the salary is 137,000 Indian rupees (AUD $2,508 approx). We can’t get that here, not even 30 to 35,000 Rupees. So that’s why I have applied on a form for Israel.”
The men say they heard media reports that Israel is facing a labour shortage after barring tens of thousands of Palestinian workers, following Hamas' deadly October 7 raids on Israel that triggered the war.
India, where the gross domestic product is about AU$3,650 per capita annually, seems willing to step in to fill some of that gap.
The states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have advertised for around 10,000 positions each for construction workers in Israel.
Uttar Pradesh labour minister Anil Rajbhar says the state has finalised a list of 16,000 workers to send to Israel next month for a final selection process.
Mr Rajbhar says the federal government's screening centre in Lucknow is in response to Israel's request for labourers.
The week-long recruitment drive began on Tuesday, with a 15-member Israeli team overseeing the process.
They expect to fill over 5,000 positions for masons, carpenters and other construction workers in Israel.
Those among the crowd at the Lucknow centre were anxious and hopeful.
Bitu Singh, one of the many jobseekers, says he was feeling positive after his interview.
“I have given my interview to go to Israel.
(Reporter: "What did they ask you?")
"In the interview they made me do the work that was needed there.”
Many see this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could change their lives for the better — even if that means working in a war zone.
The recruitment drive for Israel has also cast a light on the chinks in India’s growth story, championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has focused on investing in big-ticket infrastructure projects to woo businesses and foreign investors.
On one hand, India’s large economy is one of the world’s fastest-growing and seen as a bright spot amid a recent global downturn.
But joblessness remains a concern as India last year became the world's most populous.
After a rise in salaried jobs in the last two decades, the pace of regular wage jobs has stagnated since 2019 because of the coronavirus pandemic and an overall growth slowdown, according to the State of Working India report by the Azim Premji University.
The report says that while unemployment is falling, it is still high: above 15 per cent for university graduates of all ages and around 42 per cent for graduates under 25.
Indian Jobseeker Chandan Kumar has told Al Jazeera the poor wages and high unemployment rate in his country are forcing people to make the move to Israel.
"The cost of living in India is high. Even if someone is earning 50,000 (rupees) per month, it's still not enough. So, everyone thinks that if they earn a little more money, their family will be better off."
New Delhi and Jerusalem last year signed an agreement that would allow 40,000 Indians to work in the fields of construction and nursing in Israel.
According to 2022 data from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, there are nearly 13,000 Indian workers there already.
Last week, the ministry spokesperson said India’s labour partnership with Israel started before the latest war.
He added that India is committed to making sure its migrant workers are safe and protected. Indian government data released last year shows there are around 13 million Indians working abroad as labourers, professionals and experts.
