In a precedent-setting move, the government today (Sunday) approved a quota of Palestinian workers for work in high-tech (high-tech) occupations within Israel.
To date, the state has approved permits mainly for work in the construction, agriculture, industry and services industries.
Now with the approval of the move led by the Ministry of Regional Cooperation and the Ministry of Economy and Industry, in cooperation with the Ministries of Defense, Finance and Science, the Israeli high-tech industry - which suffers from severe shortage of skilled workers in recent years - will be significantly strengthened.
The proposal was divided into three tiered stages - up to 200 workers in 2022, up to 200 more workers in 2023 and up to 100 more workers in 2024. In total, up to 500 work permits will be issued in the high-tech industry, without compromising the overall quota of work permits for Palestinians in Israel.
According to the outline, a limit will be set according to which the salary of a Palestinian worker in the high-tech industry will not be less than 150% of the average wage in Israel, in order to allow Israeli high-tech companies to employ Palestinian workers with advanced direct employment and "close to home". For outsourced employment in other countries, mainly from Eastern Europe.
This move will also prevent harm to Israeli workers employed in the industry.
At the same time, the government approved a proposal to increase the quota in the services and industrial sectors to a maximum of 8,550 Palestinian workers, as well as a proposal to increase the quota in the Atarot EZ, to a maximum of 3,600 Palestinian workers.
The Minister for Regional Cooperation, Issawi Farage: "Israelis and Palestinians live in a common geographical area, and we must strengthen cooperation and interaction between citizens and economies. The absorption of high-tech workers expresses this desire to connect in all areas, We hope that the move will increase the yield from higher education in the Palestinian Authority, and strengthen the high-tech industry in it, as a significant growth engine for strengthening the Palestinian economy. This is a direct continuation of the policy we are leading in months The latter, along with increasing quotas in other areas, and strengthening the economic-commercial relationship with the PA. "