Israel: Indian workers assaulted in ‘racist, premeditated’ attack

Two Indian workers were assaulted in Ashkelon, a city in southern Israel, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported on Monday.

According to the broadcast, the incident was a “premeditated” ambush. It was not immediately clear when the attack took place.

On Wednesday, Congress leader Pawan Khera urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to urgently look into the matter.

“[Jaishankar 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.

In a broadcast on Monday, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation released a video showing two men being beaten by a group of at least three persons in a park.

The Hebrew caption with the YouTube video said: “With racism and evil, a group of rioters from the south of the country plotted an attack, targeting the Indian workers in the neighborhood – and beating them violently in the heart of a public park.”

Ashkelon is located about 50 km south of Tel Aviv, near the Gaza Strip border.

Sharing the clip on social media on Wednesday, Khera claimed this was “not the first such attack. And sadly, it may not be the last”.

The Congress leader added: “[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 due to make a two-day visit to Israel from February 25.

In November 2023, New Delhi and Tel Aviv signed a bilateral agreement that would allow Israel to employ Indian temporary workers. Israel was seeking to replace around 90,000 Palestinians who became ineligible for work after Tel Aviv’s war on Gaza.

Over 10,000 Indians from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Telangana were selected as construction workers in the first round.