KATHMANDU, July 3: Civil society organizations and a group of 673 individuals issued an appeal to the Government of Nepal not to send workers to Israel amidst the ongoing conflict and humanitarian concerns.

The organizations underscored the grave risks faced by Nepali citizens deployed in war-torn Israel, citing recent tragic incidents. Last October, ten innocent Nepali civilians lost their lives in an attack by Hamas, with one person still reported missing.

"We urge the Ministry of Labour, Employment, and Social Security and the Government of Nepal to prioritize the safety and rights of Nepalese citizens, aligning with international human rights commitments," the statement issued by the civil society organizations states.

The call comes amidst renewed tensions in the region, where Israel faces conflicts with Hamas in the west and Hezbollah militants in the north. Despite historical unrest and safety concerns, Nepal had previously allowed Nepali workers to apply for positions in Israel under specific employment schemes.

The organizations which made the appeal include General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions, Asmita Hamro Patrika, Tanka Prasad Memorial Academy, Decolonial Solidarity Network Nepal, The Dialectical Society, Nepalese for Palestine, Palestine Solidarity Nepal Coordination Committee, Bampantha Patrika, Meter Byaj Tatha Thagi Biruddha Kisan Majdur Sangharsha Samiti, Shiksha Niti Tatha Abhyas Kendra, and Hatemalo Collective.

Full text of the appeal:

Appeal not to send Nepali workers to Israel Monday, 1 July 2024 We urge the Government of Nepal and the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security not to put the lives of Nepali citizens at risk by sending them as workers wartime Israel, which is flouting all norms of humanity and ignoring attempts at peaceful resolution by the United Nations in order to continue horrifying atrocities.

On 7 October 2023, ten innocent Nepali citizens lost their lives in Hamas’s attack on Israel. Another citizen remains missing. The relevant ministries and the Government of Nepal must honour the right to life of Nepali citizens and maintain respect for fundamental human rights. When a lack of livelihood security in thecountry compels citizens to put their lives at risk in search of work, it is abrogation of responsibility for the state and government not to do what is required to protect them.

Palestinians have been struggling for 75 years against the occupation of their homeland by Israel. Since the 'Nakba' of 1948, the genocide on which the state of Israel was founded, the plight of the Palestinian people has not been treated with the seriousness globally that it demands. This is in large part because the narrative of this conflict has been prepared and disseminated by Western media and powers.

Israel is currently at war with Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north. It is in order to deny native Palestinians their right to livelihood that Israel has had to seek workers from elsewhere. In Nepal’s case that has included recruitment as caregivers, agricultural workers, and agriculture students who provide labour on farms. Since 7 October 2023, Palestinian workers are furthermore explicitly banned from entry into Israel. While categorically refusing to work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict, Israel seeks to fulfil its labour shortage by recruiting workers from Nepal, thereby putting their lives and limbs in jeopardy.

Along with the right to lifeof Nepali workers, the attempt to send them to Israel at this time raises thequestion of whether the Nepali state is aiding and abetting Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people. Jobs must not be used as anexcuse to push Nepali citizens into a war zone. For the security of Nepali workers, the Foreign Employment Department of the Government of Nepal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security must immediately annul the recruitment of caregivers to work in Israel’s ‘Long-term Care Centres’ (Advertisement No. 1/2080/2081). 

 
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