As the conflict over Gaza rages on it has raised insecurities among people of foreign origins residing in the region. As tensions rise between Israel and Iran following recent attacks, the safety and security of Indian construction workers remain a significant concern.
Israeli envoy Naor Gilon assured in an interview with ANI that these workers will receive the same level of safety as the Israeli population, as Israel considers them part of its population.
Addressing worries about their well-being, Gilon stressed that Israel is taking every possible measure to safeguard everyone within its borders, including the Indian workers, who are treated equally to other Israeli citizens.
“The workers are no different than other Israelis. As you saw last night, there was a huge effort by Israel, and we were able to protect our civilians, which we will do in the future. Since we treat Indian workers as part of the Israeli population, they will be as safe as the Israeli population. We are doing maximum to protect everyone in Israel”, said Ambassador Gilon here on Sunday.
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Earlier this month, Israeli envoy Naor Gilon announced that the initial group of over 60 Indian construction workers is set to arrive in Israel. Gilon expressed his optimism, stating that he believes these workers will serve as “ambassadors” fostering strong people-to-people relations between India and Israel.
“Today we had a farewell event from the first batch of 60+ Indian construction workers going to Israel under the G2G agreement. This is an outcome of the hard work of many, including @NSDCINDIA,” Gilon said.
“I’m sure that the workers will become ‘ambassadors’ of the great P2P relations between India and Israel,” he said.
While speaking on the same, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal in a weekly media briefing said,’We are conscious of their (Indian workers) safety and have urged the Israeli authorities to ensure their safety and well-being’.
The MEA’s reaction came two days following the posting by Israel’s Ambassador to India on ‘X’ of a photo depicting the initial group of Indian workers scheduled to depart for Israel.
Concerns regarding the safety of these workers arose in the context of heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, a matter India had previously voiced concern about.
“We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation. Our Embassies in the region are in close touch with Indian community. It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region,” the ministry has said in its statement.
India issued a warning to its citizens against traveling to Iran and Israel on Friday due to escalating tensions between the two West Asian nations. Ambassador Gilon commented on Iran’s recent attack on Israel, stating that Iran supports and trains Hamas, engaging in a proxy war with Israel.
He mentioned that Iran launched nearly 331 rockets of different types since yesterday, with Israeli forces intercepting 99% of them successfully. In response to a suspected Israeli airstrike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1, Iran launched a missile attack on Israel.
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