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Middle East crisis

Indian workers flock to Israeli jobs despite war and ethical concerns

High demand for positions reflects employment pressures in most populous nation

Skilled workers wait for interviews and tests at a Haryana state government recruitment drive to send workers to Israel on Jan. 17.   © Reuters

ROHTAK, India -- When Israeli and Indian officials ran six days of skill tests for workers in the state of Haryana earlier this month, thousands lined up for interviews and a chance to demonstrate their abilities as carpenters, iron benders and plaster masons, hoping to win jobs in the Middle Eastern state. Fears of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, it seemed, were trumped by more practical considerations, like how to support families.

"It took me seven hours by train to reach here. I have been coming to the venue for two days, and I'm hoping today I get the slot for the screening test," Gaurav Seni, a 27-year-old high school graduate, told Nikkei Asia as he waited on a university lawn with a crowd of other men.

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