‘Racist, Premeditated’ assault: 2 Indian workers brutally attacked in Israel
text_fields
Ashkelon: Two Indian workers were violently assaulted in Ashkelon, a city in southern Israel, in what authorities have described as a “premeditated” attack, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported on Monday. The exact timing of the assault remains unclear.
A video released by the broadcaster shows two men being attacked by at least three assailants in a public park. The Hebrew caption accompanying the footage stated: “With racism and evil, a group of rioters from the south of the country plotted an attack, targeting the Indian workers in the neighbourhood – and beating them violently in the heart of a public park.”
Ashkelon is located approximately 50 km south of Tel Aviv, near the Gaza Strip border.
Reacting to the incident on Wednesday, Congress leader Pawan Khera urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to take immediate action. “He should confirm the victim’s condition and ensure he has access to adequate, free-of-cost medical care if required,” Khera said in a social media post.
Sharing the video on social media, Khera condemned the attack, saying, “This is not the first such attack. And sadly, it may not be the last.” He also criticised the government, stating: “[The government] celebrates Indo-Israel ‘friendship’ when sending Indian labourers there. But when our people face barbaric treatment, it falls silent and shrugs off responsibility.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Israel for a two-day trip starting February 25.
The incident comes months after New Delhi and Tel Aviv signed a bilateral agreement in November 2023, allowing Israel to employ Indian temporary workers. Israel aimed to replace around 90,000 Palestinians who became ineligible for work following Tel Aviv’s war on Gaza. In the first round, over 10,000 Indian workers from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Telangana were selected for construction jobs.