Saturday, April 5, 2025
News

Israel expands quota of foreign agricultural workers

   SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend    Print this Page   COMMENT

Middle East | January 21, 2024 9:53:23 PM IST
Tel Aviv [Israel], January 21 (ANI/TPS): The Israeli Cabinet raised the quota of foreign workers for the agricultural sector by 10,000 on Sunday.

Israeli agriculture is facing staggering losses in production and manpower. Before October 7, Israel had 29,900 foreigners, mostly Thais, working in farms, orchards, greenhouses and packing plants. Nearly all have returned to Thailand.

Israeli workers who might have filled the gaps have been called up for military reserve duty.

Farmers also employed 10,000-20,000 Palestinians depending on the season, but they are currently denied entry into Israel. Lawmakers from the Likud party have vowed to keep Palestinian workers out, saying they pose a security risk.

"This addition joins the increase of 9,000 foreign workers that was approved only a few months ago," said Agriculture Minister Avi Dicther in a statement.

"Also, the addition will make it possible to reach a situation in the near future where a farmer in Israel will farm according to his needs and ability and not according to the quota of workers given to him," Dichter added.

Many farms are located in evacuated areas near the Gaza Strip and Lebanese border. Around three-quarters of Israel's vegetables were grown in the farms, kibbutzim and moshavim devastated by Hamas terrorists on October 7.

The Cabinet's decision comes on the heels of a January 16 terror attack in the Israeli city of Ra'anana. Two Palestinians identified as Mahmoud Zidat, 44, and his nephew, Ahmed, killed a 79-year-old woman and injured 16 others in a car-ramming and stabbing spree. The two, from the Hebron-area of village of Bani Naim, were working in a Ra'anana carwash even though Israel's National Security Agency (Shin Bet) blacklisted them from entering Israel as security risks.

The owners of the carwash are currently under arrest. (ANI/TPS)

 
  LATEST COMMENTS ()
POST YOUR COMMENT
Comments Not Available
 
POST YOUR COMMENT
 
 
TRENDING TOPICS
 
 
CITY NEWS
MORE CITIES
 
 
 
MORE WORLD NEWS
Vietnam willing to cut tariffs to zero i...
PM Modi, Sri Lankan President Dissanayak...
India sends 442-tonne food aid to Myanma...
Sri Lankan President honours PM Modi wit...
SAKIGAKE Japan emerges as global leader ...
Sri Lanka has special place in India's N...
More...
 
INDIA WORLD ASIA
Manipur: Joint Operation by Assam Rifles...
Telangana govt to bring out new 'Policy ...
Punjab police constitutes 1,228 village ...
EPSI holds national conference to positi...
HOLD EPSI holds national conference to p...
Ram Navami: Hyderabad Police to set up s...
More...    
 
 Top Stories
Sri Lanka will not permit its terri... 
Tamil Nadu: Rains reported in parts... 
On the auspicious occasion of Ram N... 
Sri Lanka has special place in Indi... 
'It will always remains the most me... 
Amitabh, Abhishek Bachchan, Salim K... 
SAKIGAKE Japan emerges as global le... 
'CM Nitish Kumar is guarantor of mi...