Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the main source state for workers who are sent to Israel for construction jobs and other activities in the sector that used to be dominated by Palestinians till the war on Gaza started on October 7 last year.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Shobha Karandlaje, the minister of state for labour and employment, gave a state-wise break-up of workers who have gone to Israel.

Trinamool Congress MP Sougata Ray wanted to know if the central trade unions had objected to sending Indian workers to Israel amid the Gaza war, the steps taken to ensure their safety and the number of workers sent.

"In the implementation protocol for construction workers under the India-Israel agreement on facilitation of temporary employment of Indian workers in specific labour market sectors in Israel, a request for 10,000 Indian workers has been received for employment there. Out of this, 4,825 Indian workers have so far been sent to Israel,” the minister said.

According to the state-wise details, 4,415 workers were from Uttar Pradesh, followed by 156 from Haryana, 149 from Bihar, 30 from Rajasthan, 20 each from Bengal and Kerala, eight from Andhra Pradesh, six each from Punjab and Madhya Pradesh, three each from Gujarat and Delhi, two each from Telangana, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and one each from Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

The central trade unions except the RSS-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh have been opposing the decision of the government to send workers to Israel. An Indian worker died on March 4, 2024, in a missile attack from Lebanon. The minister, however, denied that the government had received any letter from the trade unions.

"No such objections from the central trade unions on sending employees to Israel without providing any insurance or steps to ensure their safety has been received in this ministry. However, as per the framework agreement and implementation protocol signed with Israel, Indian workers shall enjoy equal treatment concerning labour rights as Israeli citizens and shall be provided with proper lodging, medical insurance and relevant social security coverage,” Karandlaje said.

The demand for Israeli construction jobs at a time when the nation is at war and when India has issued advisories to its citizens in that country to move to safe zones has been projected as a reflection of the Modi government’s inability to deal with increasing joblessness at home.

In January, CPI Rajya Sabha member Binoy Vishwam wrote to external affairs minister S. Jaishankar stating that Indian citizens have been sent for jobs in the war zone of Israel bypassing all protections and social security that are needed for workers in conflict zones.

Even measures such as insurance or medical coverage were not being followed, he wrote. He argued that the conflict had claimed the lives of workers in Israel and sending Indian labourers to the war zone in such a situation is not justifiable. Barring the conflict, working conditions in Israel — an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country — are on a par with the developed nations.