Iran-Israel conflict: Lankan workers face no immediate threat, says ambassador
There is no immediate threat to Sri Lankans in Israel following tit-for-tat military strikes between Israel and Iran, local authorities stressed.
Around 11,000 Sri Lankans live and work in Israel, with more than 2,000 having arrived in recent months after new opportunities opened up in the agriculture and construction sectors, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Israel, Nimal Bandara, told the Sunday Times on Friday.
About 70 percent of them work as caregivers and live in the homes of the families they work for. Therefore, they face no issues. About 15 to 20 percent are on agricultural farms. The others are in the construction industry and other sectors.
Meanwhile, a Sri Lankan living in Israel, who has over 16,000 followers on social media and who manages several social media pages for Sri Lankans in Israel, said the general mood in the country is that there will be no all-out war “because that is not something both sides want or can afford.” He did not wish to be named.
“Although shelling has been reported from time to time across the border of Lebanon in the northern region of Israel, more than 150,000 Israelis in the region have been temporarily moved to other places, so the Sri Lankans who were with those families have also gone to the respective new places,” the Ambassador said. “So, there is no problem with their safety.”
Sri Lankans living in Israel are urged to contact the embassy if they face difficulties due to the current situation, the ambassador said.
“Life in Israel is normal,” Mr. Bandara stressed. Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport is operating. With the exception of a few flights, the majority of arrivals and departures are normal. Some Sri Lankans planning to travel to Israel from Sri Lanka were, however, informed that their flights had been cancelled. He urged those passengers to check with their respective airlines regarding the resumption of these flights.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Arkia Airlines, which started direct flights between Tel Aviv and Colombo in March, has also resumed operations following a brief suspension prompted by the Iranian attack. Accordingly, an Arkia Airlines flight was due to arrive in Colombo yesterday and depart for Israel on Sunday morning.
The ambassador said Sri Lankans were still keen on travelling to Israel
despite the tensions and that the embassy was getting calls even on Friday from those waiting to enter the country. “Some airlines have cancelled flights due to the security situation,” he said. ”They will monitor the situation for one or two weeks before deciding on resumption. Some airlines have also rerouted their flights to avoid certain sections of airspace. Therefore, sometimes flights may get delayed or rerouted. This means that it may take people more time to travel to their destinations.”
Flight problems in the region have been compounded by unprecedented rains in the United Arab Emirates that left the Dubai International Airport flooded. Dubai is the world’s second-busiest airport, and the cancellations and delays of hundreds of flights caused massive travel disruptions worldwide.
Mr. Bandara urged passengers travelling between Colombo and Tel Aviv to first check with their respective airlines and travel agents about any cancellations and delays to flights before going to the airport.