Nepal unrest draws attention to Israeli army veterans on holiday in country

In the hours after anti-government protests began in Nepal, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs quietly released a travel advisory calling on its citizens in the country to stay indoors, or to vacate the Himalayan nation lest the unrest spreads.

It is estimated that 200 Israelis spent the last few days holed up in Chabad house in the capital as the city continues to remain on lockdown, following an uprising by young Nepalis over a lack of economic opportunities and cronyism that has left large swathes of the country's youth unemployed and disenfranchised.

Though Israel's travel advisory wasn't particularly novel - other countries also issued advisories - it drew immediate attention to the hundreds of Israelis vacationing in the country and the possibility that many were army veterans who had served in Gaza. 

Like India, Nepal is a popular destination for Israeli travellers, particularly those who have just completed military service.

It is common knowledge that many of the backpackers who travel to Nepal and India are military veterans.

Nepal is such a popular destination, that in 2013, a prominent trail at a national park in Nepal was renamed the "Israel Trail".

It is estimated that between 7,000-10,000 Israelis travel to Nepal each year, with the Israeli embassy often closely tied to their activities in the country, including receiving trekking groups at the airport. 

This year alone, around 6,000 Israelis travelled to Nepal.

In October 2024, The Jerusalem Post reported that around 30 Israeli army veterans - many of whom had been injured during operations in Gaza - were travelling for a 10-day hike through Nepal’s Annapurna Mountain. The hike, organised by the Erez Foundation, an organisation founded and led by a former Israeli Lieutenant Colonel Shimon Pariente.

Pariente set up the Erez Foundation to support Israeli army veterans and others with physical disabilities. 

“This year, we’re especially seeing lots of post-traumatic stress at a level we haven’t seen in years,” Pariente told The Jerusalem Post.

“The hope is that it will be therapeutic for participants. It’s also a very bonding experience," he added.

Israeli army veteran's interest in Nepal has captured the attention of human rights groups. 

In March, the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) filed a formal request in Nepal for the arrest and extradition of Israeli Lieutenant Amit Nechmya, accused of war crimes in Gaza.

The HRF said it had “requested Nepal to arrest and extradite Israeli War criminal Amit Nechmya, now present there. Lt. Nechmya fled Argentina, after HRF had filed a case against him for war crimes in Gaza."

Middle East Eye reached out to HRF for an update on the case, but did not receive an immediate reply.

Israeli PR in Nepal

Nepal is considered an important node of Israeli diplomacy in South Asia. It was the first South Asian country to establish diplomatic ties with Israel in 1960.

Since then, Israel and Nepal have enjoyed strong bilateral ties with consistent exchanges in culture, trade and agriculture.

The Israelis are also said to have helped modernise the Nepal Army, as well as assisting the country during times of crisis.

In 2015, Israelis sent soldiers to aid the country following a devastating earthquake. One Israeli soldier who served during "Operation Protective Edge" in 2014 - in which 2,000 Palestinians were killed - lost his life during the earthquake in Nepal. 

An Israeli search party said they recognised his body from scars sustained from the military operation in Gaza.

Israel has also invested resources in the training of Nepalis in agricultural courses. By 2024, around 3,500 Nepalese participated in courses run by Israel's development and cooperation agency, also known as Mashav.  

Following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in October 2023, hundreds of Israelis were killed.

Ten Nepali students were also killed during the incident, while one Nepali agricultural worker, Bipin Joshi, was taken hostage by Hamas. 

Kathmandu condemned the events of 7 October 2023 and temporarily suspended the deployment of workers to Israel. According to the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, the Israeli government has provided long-term financial support to the families of the ten Nepali nationals as well as compensation to Joshi's family.

In mid-2024, the government ended the ban on workers travelling to Israel. Through a government-to-government recruitment deal, around 700 Nepalis have since travelled to Israel over the past year to work as caregivers. 

As one of the most unequal countries on the planet, Nepal's economy is dependent on remittances from the rest of the globe. They form almost 33 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, the fourth-highest in the world.

According to analysts, youth unemployment (ages 15-24) hovers at 20 percent.

Writing in Counter Currents, Atul Chandra and Pramesh Pokharel argue the uprisings are a "referendum on a model that exports its youth to low-wage contracts while importing basics, and that depends on patronage rather than productivity".

"The movement’s form - fast, horizontal, cross-class - echoed Bangladesh’s student-led mobilizations and Sri Lanka’s Aragalaya: school and college students in uniform, unemployed graduates, gig and informal workers, and a broader, disillusioned public converged around a shared verdict on misrule," Chandra and Pokharel add.

Though remittances form the lifeblood of the economy, several writers over the past year have urged Nepal not to send workers to Israel as a means to steer clear of the unfolding genocide in Gaza. 

Kanak Mani Dixit, a journalist, argued that "Israel seeks to fulfil its labour shortage by recruiting workers from Nepal, thereby putting their lives and limbs in jeopardy."

"Along with the right to life of Nepali workers, the attempt to send them to Israel at this time raises the question of whether the Nepali state is aiding and abetting Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people," Dixit added.

According to the Himalayan Times, there are around 5,000 Nepalis working in Israel, though it could be more, given that many are also said to travel via India. 

Since the genocide in Gaza began, India has sent 20,000 workers to replace Palestinian workers whose work permits were cancelled following the events of 7 October 2023.

Economic crisis in Nepal

The movement against the Nepali government - dubbed the "Gen Z" movement, triggered by a social media ban on 4 September and the murder of 19 protesters - has unveiled a broader resentment in the Himalayan country over accusations of corruption and nepotism amongst the country's political and economic elite. 

At least 19 people, said to be between the ages of 18 and 25, were killed on Monday, and 400 others were injured when police fired rubber bullets and live ammunition at demonstrations over economic conditions and government pilfering of the public sector.

The violent crackdown against protesters ignited a vociferous response from segments of the public, in which thousands took to the streets, torching cars and public property, including the parliament building. 

The fall of Nepal's prime minister comes barely a year after Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign following an uprising in Bangladesh. 

The developments sent shockwaves across South Asia, especially in India. Nepal is an old and trusted ally of India, albeit with several contentious underlying issues and a few rocky eras. 

Over time, Nepal has increased its ties with India's regional rival, China. 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a statement on Tuesday describing "deep concern" and appealed to Nepalis to maintain order and calm.

With unrest spreading across Kathmandu, the police and army have been deployed, and a curfew has been imposed across the capital.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Gen Z movement, the group said they believe "Nepal's future leadership must be free from entrenched political party affiliations, fully independent, and selected on the basis of competence, integrity, and qualifications."

"We demand a transparent and stable government that works in the interest of the people and not for the benefit of corrupt individuals or political elites," the group added.

Balancing foreign policy interests

Despite the friendly bilateral ties, Nepal has consistently signed calls at the United Nations for a ceasefire and a de-escalation of hostilities, prompting some observers to call for Nepal to alter its approach towards Israel in multilateral settings. 

Nepal and Israel have enjoyed friendly relations for more than six decades, but have tried to balance their ties with the Arab world, where thousands of Nepalis currently work.

As far back as 1960, BP Koirala, the country's leader, is said to have “indicated a desire to send Nepalese officers for training in the Israel Army.”

Israel opened its embassy in Kathmandu in 1961. 

After the Cold War, Nepal opened an honorary consulate general in Israel in 1993 and an embassy in 2007. 

Following the earthquake in 2015, Israel sent around 260 Israeli soldiers, as well as doctors and rescue experts, to the country to assist in relief efforts.

The Israeli consulate in New York described the contingent as the largest aid team on the ground.