'Racist assault' on Indians in Israel, as New Delhi keeps mum on West Bank ahead of Modi visit
Media reports said the attack was plotted in advance and driven by “racism and malice".
Indian workers in the Israeli city of Ashkelon have been beaten in a “targeted, racially motivated attack”, according to a report by the Israeli media.
The southern Israeli city lies about 50 kilometres from Tel Aviv and close to Gaza.
The attack comes in the backdrop of India deciding not to join over 80 countries criticising Israeli settlement expansions in the occupied West Bank in a signed statement at the UN, as Indian Prime Minister Modi plans to visit Israel next week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Modi would visit “next week,” and that Israel is “enormously popular” in India.
A video released by the Israeli broadcaster, KAN, shows at least two men being assaulted by a group of attackers in what appears to be a public park.
Hebrew captions accompanying the footage described the assault as a “premeditated” ambush driven by “racism and malice”, with the attackers allegedly coordinating the assault through WhatsApp messages before targeting Indian workers in the neighbourhood.
The broadcaster said the group plotted the attack in advance and carried out the beating in broad daylight.
It was not immediately clear when the incident occurred, though the video report was released on February 16.
Indians in Israel
The incident has drawn attention in India, where the opposition Congress party has urged authorities to intervene and ensure medical care for the victims.
In a post on X, a Congress spokesperson called on External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to urgently verify the condition of those wounded and raise the matter with Israeli authorities.
The statement also questioned whether Modi would address alleged racist attacks against Indian nationals during his visit to Israel.
The presence of Indian workers in Israel has increased since Israeli authorities suspended work permits for thousands of Palestinian labourers in October 2023, creating a labour shortage.
Indian labour unions, including the All India Trade Union Congress, have previously criticised recruitment drives to Israel, citing safety risks and lack of transparency.
In 2024, the Indian government advertised 10,000 positions for construction workers in Israel in at least the two states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Reports also indicate hundreds of Israelis born in India, in particular from the northeastern states of Manipur and Mizoram, have answered the Israeli military's call to “fight in Gaza”.
Brothers in arms
A report by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese recorded that between October 2023 and October 2025, India was among the 26 states that exported arms and ammunition to Israel, despite widespread allegations of war crimes and genocide in Gaza.
India and Israel signed a bilateral investment agreement in September aimed at expanding trade and financial cooperation, even as Tel Aviv faced isolation over its genocide in Gaza.
India has moved closer to Israel under Modi’s Hindu nationalist government.
New Delhi has also cracked down on pro-Palestinian demonstrations while permitting pro-Israel rallies.
Although India still officially supports a two-state solution, it has abstained from several UN resolutions critical of Israel, including a 2024 General Assembly vote calling for an "immediate, unconditional and permanent" ceasefire in Gaza.
India has declined to condemn Israeli strikes on Iran and has resisted joining several multilateral statements critical of Tel Aviv.