Following Hamas' murderous terrorist attacks in southern Israel and the Gaza envelope on October 7, and with the beginning of the Iron Swords War, some 160,<> Palestinian laborers from Judea and Samaria were stopped from entering Israel to work, except for a few thousand deemed essential.
This issue is beginning to arouse pressure on the Palestinian street, and the PA leadership is also concerned about the consequences that could develop from this. "In the meantime, we're at home, living off what we have," says A., a 51-year-old resident of Hebron. "We hope this is temporary and that we will return to our work. What happened is not in our interest and does not help us. We were all surprised by what happened in Gaza. I'm not in favor of innocents being killed, everyone wants to be happy with their lives, with their families," he said.
Palestinian workers at Tarqumiya crossing, last year // Photo: Arab networks
A. has been working in the construction field in Israel since 2009. He hadn't visited the construction site he was used to going to every morning in Rishon LeZion since the beginning of the war. "It's hard for all of us, we don't like what happened. During the first two weeks of the war, we were afraid to go to work in Israel because of the situation and the rockets. We thought it was temporary and that we could return soon, but then we saw that they were starting to talk about bringing in foreign workers, and that was causing pressure," he explained.
"I hear from my friends about checks coming back that don't have money," he added. Those who used to buy on credit – store owners no longer allow them to do so, for fear that they will not be able to pay in the future. People cannot meet obligations and return payments. There are those who lend family members or have money from savings they have saved, but eventually this money will also run out, and what will they live from? Every month I bring a livelihood home, and now there's a problem."
A., a married father of seven, says he does not support the killing of civilians and disavows the massacres carried out by Hamas. He said he and his friends had contacted several bodies in the Palestinian Authority to find out if the Israeli decision would change, but received no answers. "In the West Bank, there is no work like there is in Israel, and there is no pay like in Israel. We get 300 shekels a day of work in Israel compared to 100 shekels here here. We're against the decision to prevent us from going to work, it's not good for either side. When a person doesn't have money to bring for the family, he or his family can do anything. It can lead to reactions against the Israeli army and cause exploitation of people and problems and bad things."
Palestinian workers at the Tarqumiya crossing (archive, the subjects have no connection to the report), photo: Oren Cohen
When he mentions the word "exploitation," A. is talking about terrorist elements that will try to use the current situation to attract frustrated residents. "They will be taken advantage of, they will be given money. In a situation where a person has nothing to live on and someone else comes and tells him, 'Take it,' he will not refuse," he said.
Other workers also testify to the difficulty created by the barbaric massacres and the war imposed by Hamas on Israel, and say that they fear that the decision to prevent them from entering Israel to work will continue for a long time. "We are afraid of the new situation. We don't want to sit at home, everyone wants to take care of his family's livelihood. Poverty and unemployment drive a person to behave badly. What can the authority do? It's not in her hands, the anger will be directed at Israel," explained another worker in the field of renovations and construction.
Will they take advantage of the new situation? Hamas terrorists (archive), photo: Majdi Fathi/TPS
The Palestinian Pillar of Collapse
The Palestinian economy in Judea and Samaria relies significantly on the monthly income of tens of thousands of workers who go to work in Israel. This is one of the main pillars of the Palestinian Authority's coffers, and in the absence of other sources to compensate for this, negative economic, social and even security consequences may develop.
This is compounded by another issue with no less explosive potential: the Palestinian Authority refuses to accept tax revenues from Israel, due to the Israeli cabinet's decision to deduct the amount allocated to the Gaza Strip. A senior Palestinian official confirmed to Israel Hayom that the PA informed Israel of the refusal. Asked whether the PA leadership was not concerned about the consequences, he replied: "We have no problem with that, that Israel will bear responsibility for what it does." The Authority's position is that the settlement funds should not be received as long as they are offset.
If the PA persists in its refusal, and in the absence of alternatives and foreign aid to fill the gap, it will find it difficult to pay the salaries of public officials and members of the Palestinian security forces. This means that tens of thousands of officials will receive 30% of their salary, or even not receive it at all.
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (archive), photo: AP.
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