In a discussion held this week in the civilian cabinet, headed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, no decision was made regarding the approval of workers from Judea and Samaria to enter Israel to work. The reason: lack of data, discriminatory policies between those operating inside the Green Line and Judea and Samaria, and the lack of alternatives for those workers.
Since the beginning of the war, tens of thousands of workers from Judea and Samaria have not crossed the border into Israel, and only 5,000, defined as "essential workers," continue to work here. Until now, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, together with National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi, insisted that workers should not be allowed in, but now Netanyahu is demanding new recommendations on the issue and is expected to bring the issue to a vote in the security cabinet. In the discussion scheduled for Monday, the ministers are expected to deal with, among other things, two issues: the entry of workers into Israel and the fear of the Palestinian Authority's turning its nests against the State of Israel.
Documentation: This is how IDF fighters operate in Hamas terrorist strongholds // IDF Spokesperson
When the Minister of Finance sought to understand from those present exactly how many workers the economy consumed, no data were received and the decision was not made. Sources who participated in the discussion said that, among other things, Smotrich demanded to characterize the sites to which the workers would be allowed to enter, what their personal characteristics would be, to determine the security arrangements as well as transportation required for them. Another issue that arose in the discussion was the gap in security requirements between the entry of workers into Judea and Samaria and the Green Line, requirements that were lower and were determined by the OC separately from decisions made by the government. Smotrich also demanded unity in these rules, and that any stage at which workers were allowed to enter would be brought before the political cabinet.
Security Cabinet ministers now believe that the issue will be brought before them soon. Yesterday, Netanyahu said at a press conference regarding the workers' Knesset that "this is indeed on the agenda, there are reasons one way or the other. If you bring in such a public - you will know what you will encounter. The reasons for doing this – two sectors that are on the verge of paralysis – construction and agriculture. There are assessments by security officials that the rising unemployment in the Palestinian arena in the West Bank may lead to another conflagration. This will be brought before the cabinet for discussion."
Artillery Corps activity in the Gaza Strip // Photo: IDF Spokesperson
Some of the cabinet ministers have already announced that they oppose bringing in the workers because of the security danger involved, while warning the defense establishment to the contrary: not bringing in the workers will lead to unrest against Israel. Minister Gideon Sa'ar wrote last night that "the return of Palestinian workers from Judea and Samaria to work in Israel is wrong and dangerous. This is a public full of incitement and hatred for Israel and the Jews. Israel must wean itself off Palestinian work today and increase the number of foreign workers from friendly countries. There is no more important consideration than the security of the citizens of Israel."
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us