‘Everyone wants to work here’: Foreign workers still flock to war-torn Israel

Foreign workers have long been part of Israel's story when it comes to supporting the country's labour shortages in times of crisis.

The first official recruitment of foreign workers to Israel occured in 1993, after the 1987 intifada created a labour vacuum from cancelled Palestinian worker permits. 

Today, the majority of the 195,000 legal foreign workers in Israel come from the Philippines, Thailand, China, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, filling shortages in the caregiving, agriculture and construction sectors. For the home country of these workers, such deals are an important part of bilateral agreements and strengthening diplomatic relations.

Israel's fair pay and worker protections have generated a positive reputation, making it an attractive destination for foreign workers. Upon arrival, foreign workers are automatically signed to Israel’s labour union (Histadrut) and employers are required to pay foreign workers equal to Israeli employees. 

But contributing to Israel's economy does not grant immunity from times of war. Tens of foreign workers were murdered or taken hostage on October 7, while thousands lived and worked in fear during the latest war with Iran, with some losing their homes.

Bipin Joshi, a 25-year-old Nepali student who studied agriculture in Israel, was taken hostage on October 7 and still remains in Gaza – his fate unknown. Only last month, Nattapong Pinta’s corpse, the last Thai worker kidnapped from Nir Oz to be accounted for, was recovered from the Gaza Strip. 

Despite these tragedies and a country still in the pulse of war, 35,000 new legal foreign workers have entered Israel since October 7. This takes into account the 24,000 workers who fled the country in the aftermath of the brutal terrorist attack, as recorded by the Israel Democracy Institute.