3 min readChandigarhApr 27, 2026 02:12 AM ISTThey are now reluctant to return despite the ongoing tensions in the region following the recent war between Israel and Iran — the reason being their earnings. (Reuters/File)In 2024, nearly 180 youths from Haryana went to Israel to work as construction workers engaged in tiling, steel fixing, carpentry and plastering. They are now reluctant to return despite the ongoing tensions in the region following the recent war between Israel and Iran — the reason being their earnings. They now earn far more than they did back home; some earn over Rs 3 lakh a month depending on their qualifications, and many send nearly Rs 1.5 lakh monthly to their families in Haryana.Ramesh Chander Jangra is among the youths who went to Israel. After completing a diploma from the Industrial Training Institute (ITI), he began working as a construction worker in his village Karela, Jind. At the age of 40, in early 2024, he earned Rs 30,000 a month.In June that year, he joined a construction company in Israel. Today, Jangra earns nearly Rs 1.6 lakh a month. And he saves an average of Rs 1.35 lakh to send back home after an expense of about Rs 25,000. His family including two children are in Haryana.Jangra, who lives in Jerusalem, is not ready to move to India even amid the ongoing tensions. “We are living here normally. Even when the war was on, Israel’s strong anti‑missile system intercepted incoming missiles. We don’t want to leave Israel at this stage as we have a five‑year contract in the first phase.”Another youth from Jind’s Badhana, Nishan Thakur (23), also moved to Israel in June, 2024, after completing a technical course at an ITI. His family owns just an acre of land, which prompted him to move when the government initiated the selection process. “Instead of working eight hours a day, I put in twelve hours… make over Rs 30 lakh annually doing foundation and drilling work. After taxes and expenses, I save about Rs 2 lakh monthly to send home.”Praveen Vats (33) is among the youths from Haryana and also among the highest-earners in Israel. With a diploma in mechanical engineering from a Haryana polytechnic, he moved in April 2024.“I was earning Rs 38,000 a month in Hisar while working for a steel company, with six years of experience. In Israel, I work twelve hours daily, earn Rs 48 lakh annually and send Rs 3 lakh monthly home after expenses.” Married in 2017, Vats’s wife is a clerk in the Haryana local bodies department.Story continues below this adHe said, “No one wants to return… Many of us earlier earned just Rs 20,000 in our villages or small towns, but now we save Rs 2 lakh monthly.”On February 12, 2026, Vats returned to India for vacation, but his leave was extended as Israel suspended international flights during the war. He is scheduled to fly back on April 26. He works in steel fixing and iron bending for construction projects.Encouraged by the positive response, the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN) has issued advertisements to send 7,600 more eligible beneficiaries to Israel.Sukhbir Siwach's extensive and in-depth coverage of farmer agitation against three farm laws during 2020-21 drew widespread attention. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:HaryanaIsraelAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...