Foreign workers from China in preparations for the upcoming Chinese New Year, in the south Tel Aviv neighborhood of Neve Shanaan. February 14, 2026.     hinese construction workers in Israel: 'I’d rather be bombed than live in poverty' Amid ongoing conflict in Israel, many Chinese construction workers choose to stay, prioritizing high wages over evacuation, despite the risks posed by airstrikes and bombings. Scores of Chinese construction workers in Israel have allegedly chosen not to evacuate the country, with some saying they would rather face bombs than poverty and starvation. Since the start of the war, the Chinese Embassy in Israel has been organizing evacuations of Chinese citizens via the Taba Port in Egypt. There are an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 Chinese construction workers employed in Israel's construction industry. However, despite the option to leave, many Chinese workers said they were unwilling to leave, noting higher wages in Israel. In a video on X, one Chinese construction worker said, “I’m working here, everything is normal. If there’s an air raid siren, you take cover. We’re used to it by now. I hope everyone won’t worry too much. People have asked whether I’ll go back. I’ll tell you: I’ll visit family eventually, but I won’t go back right now. Life isn’t just about having enough to eat. We want freedom. We want to live with dignity.” In another video, taken from inside a dormitory, a Chinese worker says, “I’d rather be bombed to death than die in poverty." Israeli employers do not delay wages' Workers told NTD Television - an anti-PRC channel - that they work 12 hours a day at construction sites in Israel, earning between 30,000–40,000 yuan per month at the low end, and up to 70,000–80,000 yuan at the high end. This translates to around $4,100 to $11,000 a month. According to them, Israeli employers do not delay wages. As a carpenter, I make 1,800 yuan a day, 45,000 a month," one worker told NTD. "I’m not going home until I’ve made two million." The worker added that he got injured and had surgery. "The hospital was excellent," he said. "They arranged a Chinese interpreter for me. The doctors were great.” Another worker said he came to Israel to lay tile on construction sites, earning 60,000 to 70,000 yuan a month. “Laying tile, I make two to three thousand a day,” he said. “In five years, that’s two million. Back home, I could barely support myself, let alone my kid and my parents. The pressure was enormous. Here, if I work seven or eight years, maybe ten, I can earn enough to retire on.”   Chinese workers in Israel prefer wages over evacuation amid conflict | The Jerusalem Post