Tomorrow (Sunday), the enlarged civilian cabinet is expected to decide on the issue of bringing Palestinian workers from Judea and Samaria into Israel, against the backdrop of American pressure on Israel.
The cabinet will discuss an issue whose decisions will affect plans to continue the fighting in light of the US demand to open the entrance to Israel to Palestinian workers from Judea and Samaria.
The law is not progressing. Smotrich and Netanyahu (archive), photo: Reuters
The civilian cabinet, headed by Minister Smotrich, will discuss the two tracks for approving the entry of Palestinian workers from Judea and Samaria. Since the beginning of the fighting, only 5000,<> Palestinian workers defined as essential have been allowed entry out of <>,<> workers with work visas in Israel.
Smotrich is furious, and Netanyahu feels the pressure from Biden
Last week, the civilian cabinet held a discussion on the issue, but no decision was made, and the finance minister chastised the participants for not coming up with the data on the need for the economy or with alternative plans for employing foreign workers.
Netanyahu, for his part, is demanding from the civilian cabinet a plan to return the workers to Israel under American pressure and from the defense establishment, which warns that if they are not brought into Israel, another violent front may break out from Judea and Samaria due to economic pressure.
Sa'ar: Bringing in workers from enemy populations - a gamble on the lives of Israeli citizens
Ahead of the discussion, Cabinet member Gideon Sa'ar told Israel Hayom that "bringing in workers from enemy populations during wartime is wrong and dangerous. This is a gamble on the lives of Israeli citizens. There is no consideration that stands above the security of the citizens of the state."
Gideon Saar. Opposes the entry of workers from Judea and Samaria, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
His position is joined by Minister Smotrich, who said similar things last week. Ahead of the discussion, mayors of Judea and Samaria demanded to participate in the discussion and express their position on the volatile issue. In addition, Smotrich demanded that the decision regarding the entry of workers into Judea and Samaria also be in the hands of the cabinet and not in the hands of the OC Central Command, and under the same criteria.
In addition, it was learned that Minister Ben-Gvir is also expected to oppose the outline that would renew the workers' income. The minister represented in the cabinet the position of the police, which also opposes the entry of workers from Judea and Samaria into Israel.
Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir. "Recipe for disaster", photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Those close to Ben-Gvir say: "Unfortunately, there are those who are still captive to the concept. The entry of workers from Judea and Samaria is not fundamentally different from the entry of workers from Gaza, the results of which exploded in our faces on Black Saturday. These operatives collaborated and passed information to Hamas terrorists. Moreover, their entry into Israel means the entry of people who are exposed to daily incitement in mosques and in the Arab media against Israel. We must not repeat the same model of Gaza in bringing in workers from Judea and Samaria – a format for disaster."
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