As Israel and Gaza fight what Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak has called a “war to the bitter end,” photographer Quito Ziegler shot these images exploring a related consequence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Barrier walls and restrictive military checkpoints mean that Palestine workers can no longer reliably commute to their jobs. So Israel has increased its reliance on workers from Thailand, the Philippines, China, and Africa to work in agriculture, construction, and as care-givers for the elderly. Meanwhile, high unemployment rates continue to be a challenge in the Palestinian territories.
Click on an image below to learn more about these workers.
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- Chinese construction workers in Shoham play cards on a Saturday afternoon, their one day off. These men have paid $25,000 for visas to come work for five years. For the first two years, their wages are paid directly to the manpower agency that brought them here.
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- Three workers from Thailand prepare plants for export to Germany at a greenhouse in the Galilee. The workers enjoy living in this region, which is geographically somewhat similar to Thailand, although they are often isolated and rely on their employers for mobility.
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- Aeh, an agricultural worker from Thailand, outside the living quarters of other workers on her moshav (farming community).
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- Oscar came from Congo 13 years ago, fleeing war and violence. He has learned Hebrew and both he and his wife have permanent work visas. He works cleaning apartments in Tel Aviv, and has Israeli friends who he has joined for Passover seders and family events.
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- Oscar’s 5-year-old daughter, Esther, was born in Israel, speaks Hebrew as her mother tongue, and goes to school with other Israeli children. However, children of migrant workers born in Israel after 2000 are not considered citizens and Esther is now threatened with deportation to Congo.
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- Wilson (in foreground), a care-giver from southern India, rides the sherut (shared taxi) from Jerusalem back to Tel Aviv. Every Saturday morning Wilson, a Christian, travels to Jerusalem to attend mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The sheruts are a popular way for migrant workers to travel.
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- Wilson and friends prepare food for a Christmas celebration. Although Christians are uncommon in India, many of the Indians who work in Israel as care-givers are Christian, drawn to Israel because of its religious significance. Two women share this one-room apartment in south Tel Aviv.
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- David, 24, left Cote d’Ivoire when his village was destroyed by conflict and he was separated from his family. He paid a manpower agency $6,000 for a visa to work in Israel in construction, and was guaranteed a job. Upon arrival, however, he learned that the employer had already hired enough workers, so he is forced to seek other work. This is a common scam that has been occurring with manpower agencies seeking commissions.
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- David lives in a one-room apartment in south Tel Aviv with five other migrants from Cote d’Ivoire. They look for work and watch pirated music DVDs from Africa to pass the time.
