By F.M. Shakil – Apr 24, 2024

Israel is mitigating its labor shortage by importing Hindu-only Indians after revoking work permits for Palestinians – an old colonial practice that could impact its deepening geopolitical ties with New Delhi.

On 10 April, in the thick of the war on Gaza, the Israeli government, facing a labor crisis, announced that it would fly in 6,000 Indian laborers during April and May on state-subsidized shuttle flights.

This decision follows Israel’s suspension of work permits for Palestinian construction workers, a move that has significantly impacted its building sector. Israel’s Finance Ministry estimates that the absence of Palestinian laborers is costing the economy about three billion shekels ($828 million) monthly, which could lead to a loss of three percent of GDP as the building and housing markets struggle with debt amounting to 400 billion shekels ($106 billion).

Simultaneously, New Delhi, overlooking the genocide and humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, has agreed to send Indian construction workers to replace the displaced Palestinian workforce. This decision aligns with a bilateral agreement to integrate 100,000 Indian laborers into Israel’s construction industry, matching the number of ousted Palestinian workers.

A colonial strategy

Canadian immigration attorney Aidan Simardone, speaking to The Cradle, compares the situation to historical colonial practices in North America where marginalized European religious groups, like the Puritans, were brought in to service colonial interests.

Israel, he points out, is adopting a similar strategy by recruiting economically disadvantaged Hindu Indians from regions like Uttar Pradesh, aiming to manage demographic and political challenges seamlessly.

The move is also an attempt by Israel to pull the rug out from under one of the thorns on the side of colonialism. Colonialism requires squeezing blood out of a stone, yet this squeezing depends on the sweat and tears of those who are at the bottom of the barrel.

Simardone notes the inherent risks for the colonizer in relying entirely on an indigenous labor force, as workers will rebel when colonialism reveals its true nature.

To steer clear of this predicament, colonizers bring in labor from other parts. These laborers are often pushed to the sidelines as well, but unlike the Indigenous population, they go with the flow rather than swimming against the tide when it comes to the colonial project.

The plight of Palestinian laborers Since Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza began over six months ago, the closure of the occupied territories has severed the economic lifeline of approximately 100,000 Palestinian workers, cutting off their main source of income and depriving them of a financial safety net.

Worse yet, many Palestinian workers did not receive their September salaries as the war commenced before their scheduled pay date.

The fact that so many Palestinians are unable to support themselves in Israel may have disastrous effects on the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) economic agenda and, inadvertently, worsen the occupied West Bank’s security situation.

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    • panned_cakes [none/use name]@hexbear.netOP
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      6 months ago

      I’m sure we’re participating in the insane Q level narrative sculpting they do in their media. I hate Indian news so much. Also especially by the tech companies which munch popcorn as the insane Hindutva pogroms you see like on the border with Bangladesh unfold thru their servuces, and want to use the country’s cheap labor and poorly treated immigrant population (like from Bangladesh, as much as they act like they want to drive them out) to keep costs down on the packaging and testing side of semiconductors, and obv they have tried to enclose as much of their internet as possible worldwide like with the 2Africa cable (formerly known as Simba LOL). Silicon Valley is going to do everything possible to ensure imperial financiers have some form of enclosure of the communications infrastructure of the global south.

      • Dr_Vegapunk@lemmygrad.ml
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        6 months ago

        Exactly! Rise of the new generation of compradors! And thanks for the info, I did not know about 2Africa cable!!

      • loathsome dongeater@lemmygrad.ml
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        6 months ago

        I hate Indian news so much.

        I can guarantee you that Hindi news TV channels are by far the absolute worst in the world. My Hindu fascist boomer parents are addicted to that shit so I am exposed to them at times. I doubt the people here can imagine the level of sensationalism that is rife in them. They look and sound exactly like what parodies of them looked like 15 years ago.

        • panned_cakes [none/use name]@hexbear.netOP
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          6 months ago

          Man I can barely stomach my parents relaying what they pick up by osmosis while “avoiding the news” I would have a hard time not flipping out and disowning everyone in that situation, not that you should just abdicate to fake news that way lol

          It’s frustrating hearing Al Gore’s strongest soldier consider the possibility of space laser wildfires “just for fun”, but it’s to be expected and more on-brand than it appears