New Delhi: India's External Affairs Ministry has categorically denied any discussions with Israel regarding the possibility of Indian workers replacing Palestinian labourers in the wake of the recent conflict in the region.
The statement comes in contradiction to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, which claimed that the leaders had discussed "advancing the arrival of foreign workers from India to the State of Israel" following a phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The External Affairs Ministry, responding to questions in the Rajya Sabha on December 14, firmly stated that the matter was not discussed with the West Asian nation, emphasizing that the government's statement in Parliament stands.
Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the ministry, reiterated this position on Thursday, asserting that the Indian government had not confirmed the reports circulating about sending workers to Israel.
The controversy arose as Israel reportedly deported thousands of Palestinian workers amid the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. The Israeli construction industry purportedly sought permission to recruit around one lakh Indian workers to replace the 90,000 Palestinians who lost their work permits.
Bagchi clarified that while India has been exploring labour mobility agreements globally to ensure fair treatment and protection of citizens' rights, specific job opportunities were not discussed with Israel as indicated in their readout of the conversation.
Despite the government's denial, reports suggest that the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam, established by the Bharatiya Janata Party government, has sought applications to fill 3,000 vacancies for workers in Israel's construction sector.
Israel Builders Association's spokesperson, Shay Pauzner, confirmed the initiation of the recruitment process, with plans to bring in 10,000 workers initially, scaling up to 30,000 in the near future, depending on the outcome.
While Bagchi acknowledged the presence of a significant number of Indians working in Israel's healthcare, caregiver, and construction sectors, he emphasized that individuals could seek job opportunities abroad independently, without the need for government-to-government mechanisms.