According to the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), around 1500 Indian nationals are scheduled to depart for Israel in April to work as construction workers. The recruitment process, which commenced on January 16th, involved conducting professional assessments in both Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

The first group of Indian workers has departed for Israel, announced Israel Ambassador Naor Gilon in a social media post. He noted that over 60 Indian construction workers are part of this initial batch, travelling under the G2G agreement between the two countries.

Ambassador Gilon attributed the success of this initiative to the diligent efforts of various stakeholders, including NSDC India. He expressed confidence that these workers would serve as ambassadors, strengthening the positive people-to-people relations between India and Israel.

On November 15th, Israel's Population and Immigration Authorities submitted a request to NSDC for 10,000 construction workers, distributed across four job categories: Farworkers-3000, Iron Bending-3000, Plastering-2000, and Ceramic Tiling-2000.

Following this request, a professional assessment was conducted, resulting in 9727 candidates meeting the qualification criteria. These workers are slated to receive a minimum salary of Rs 1.35 lakh, excluding additional benefits, as per NSDC.

NSDC operates under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model and has arranged for Air India to handle the transportation of Indian workers to Israel. Additionally, the corporation is coordinating with the Israeli government to organise supplementary charter flights, facilitating the swift movement of more candidates. NSDC foresees a further demand for 15,000 workers from Israel, with Maharashtra and Telangana expressing interest in participating in the professional assessment drives.

Israel has expressed interest in recruiting Indian workers across three significant sectors: caregiving, construction, and agriculture. Last year, a framework agreement was signed to facilitate Indian travel to Israel, which was bolstered by additional protocols. Currently, there are 180,000 Indian nationals in Israel, employed in diverse fields such as caregiving.

The urgency in Israel's recruitment drive stems from the October terror attack by Hamas, prompting a ban on Palestinian workers entering Israel. India has issued advisories for its nationals in Israel amidst the Gaza conflict, urging relocation to safer areas within the country. The advisory specifically directs all Indian nationals in Israel, particularly those in border areas in the north and south, to relocate to safer zones within Israel.

The urgency in Israel's recruitment drive follows the October terror attack by Hamas, resulting in the ban on Palestinian workers entering Israel. India has issued advisories for its nationals in Israel amid the Gaza conflict, urging relocation to safer areas within the country.

The advisory states, "All Indian nationals in Israel, especially those working in or visiting border areas in the north and south, are advised to relocate to safe areas within Israel."

Image source:  The Hindu