Chinese construction workers in Israel opt to take a chance on high wages and employer appreciation despite the risks—returning home to poverty is a certainty.

By Mathilda Heller, published by the Jerusalem Post

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April 7: Scores of Chinese construction workers in Israel say they refused evacuation offers from the Chinese Embassy, choosing instead to stay in a war zone and risk bombing rather than return to economic hardship in China.

In videos circulating on X and reported by media outlets, including the Jerusalem Post and New Tang Dynasty (NTD) Television, workers describe their situation bluntly. One said: “I’m working here, everything is normal… We want freedom. We want to live with dignity.”

Another said: “Compared to dying poor, being bombed is instant: dying in poverty is slow torture.”

A carpenter earning around $6,200 (45,000 yuan) per month added: “I’m not going home until I’ve made two million.” He also praised Israeli hospitals after an injury, noting excellent care and a Chinese interpreter.

Chinese workers in Israel report 12-hour days earning 30,000–80,000 yuan per month ($4,100–$11,000), with reliable, on-time pay from Israeli employers who appreciate their efforts—a sharp contrast to their experiences in China where hard labor was rewarded by delayed wages and exploitation.

One tiler said his work in Israel permitted him the dream of retirement after 7-10 years, whereas back home he “could barely support myself, let alone my kid and my parents. The pressure was enormous.”

The Jerusalem Times notes the Chinese construction workforce in Israel is estimated at 50,000 to 60,000.