Migrant Workers Are Not A Commodity - EDITORIAL

Nations around the world issue travel advisories for the protection of their citizens. They (advisories) warn against visiting particular countries for one reason or the other.
Presently, the US has issued travel advisories to its citizens against visiting Israel (one of its closest allies), the West Bank and Gaza, as terrorist groups, lone-actor terrorists and other violent extremists continue plotting possible attacks in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. The warning adds, violence could occur in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza without warning. 
Strangely however, our government is advocating Lankan’s to take up migrant worker positions in Israel as agricultural workers. This is despite a full-blown war raging in that country and despite the US warning its citizens to keep away.
These agricultural workers will not be living and working in Israeli cities, but in homes, fields and lands confiscated from Palestinians where a full-scale genocidal war is in progress.
There is every likelihood these workers could become unwitting targets at anytime whenever hostilities breakout. 
During the 7 October attack carried out by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, a few of Sri Lankans fell victim to the attacks. Their bodies were flown back to Lanka. 
Whether or not the families were compensated by Israeli authorities is yet not known. However, no amount of money can compensate the loss of a father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister.
At this moment Israel is conscripting its men and women to join, what its claims is a war to eliminate members of the Hamas militant movement. Resultantly it (Israel) is losing the manpower needed to work in its agriculture sector.
The state of Israel also continues confiscating Palestinian-owned homes and lands and handing them over to persons of the Jewish faith. During the 7 October attacks, the areas which came under attack were areas where Palestinians had been evicted from their lands and replaced with Jewish settlers. 
Again despite Israel’s claim that its war is with Hamas, as the world watches; it is innocent Palestinian civilians who are being targeted. 
The UN Secretary General has condemned the Israeli attacks and pointed out that of the over 22,000 Palestinian civilians killed, around half of them
are children. 
With Israeli man and woman power now being used in the military, the country is facing a drastic shortage of people to work the agricultural field. It is for this reason Israel is calling for agricultural workers and offering high salaries as well.
Today, we Lankans are facing a very difficult period, especially since the economic meltdown. Many of our citizens are unable to feed their families. The increasing taxes are making this situation even worse. With ‘wolf at the door’ so-to-say, our people are desperate, grabbing at any straw to save themselves and their families.
In such a situation, it is the bounden duty of all governments to point out to its citizens, the dangers of entering and living/working in war-torn areas. This becomes increasingly necessary when there is an extremely thin line differentiating militant
from civilian 
It is despicable that the government does not warn potential migrants of dangers which could befall them in Israel and in the Israeli illegally occupied territories. Rather, the government is encouraging innocent Lankans to seek employment in these danger zones.
A number of our own citizens who escaped the terrible events unfolding in that country, at a recently held press conference warned of the prevailing carnage. They warned civilian residences are being demolished, while schools, hospitals and even the UN compounds have come under attack. 
Understandably feelings between Israelis and Palestinians are running high. In the event of a counter attack by Palestinians it will be our citizens, working in the homes and fields of confiscated lands who will become the unintended victims of the
counter attackers.
Has the conscience of our leaders become so hard boiled, that they are willing to send our hungry people into the middle of a brutal war in search of a few dollars more.
Migrant workers today bring in the highest proportion of our country’s foreign exchange earnings. BUT migrant workers are NOT A COMMODITY. 
They are a precious and important part of the Lankan community and need to be treated as such. NOT as cannon-fodder in somebody else’s
genocidal war.