About a month ago, the economic and social cabinet prevented the entry of Arab workers from the Yash to Israel, despite heavy pressure from the security establishment to allow this. It was clear to everyone that although this may be an exercise by Binyamin Netanyahu, who is using this cabinet, which barely convenes, only to stick the The thing is - the pressures from the security forces will increase, and in the end, when the public spirit subsides a little, the workers will return to man the desolate construction sites and the agricultural fields.
One of the significant problems for those who try to stand as a wall against the return of the workers to the cities of Israel, as one of the lessons of October 7, is the lack of an alternative.
Not only did the state not find a solution to the plight of large and important branches of the economy - it even barely dealt with the issue, as if it was not an acute plight.
Palestinian workers at the entrance to Israel, photo: Oren Cohen
The reason is quite clear: the dragging of feet in finding the solution is intended to restore the previous situation.
At first as a pilot for those aged 45 and over, with a security check and traffic restrictions, and later hundreds of thousands will flow here again without hindrance.
When you think that this is what will happen anyway - why think of other solutions?
But there are those who do think otherwise.
15 members of Knesset from the Likud signed a letter addressed to the Prime Minister and the leader of the faction demanding to hold a factional discussion on denying the entry of the Arab workers from the Yash permanently.
The construction of the alternative was entrusted to the Minister of Industry, Nir Barkat, who heads the group and who prepared a comprehensive plan with one purpose: to eliminate the need for Arab workers from the territories, in all branches of the economy, from now on and forever, by importing 170,000 foreign workers in the immediate term from Asian and African countries.
"The Concept Cabinet is still stuck on October 6 and thinks that money to the Arabs of Israel will bring security peace," says Barkat. "This is the same mistake they made with the suitcases of dollars to Hamas."
At the beginning of the week, Defense Minister Yoav Galant was asked about the issue, and his position was firm: "The scenes from Gaza are discouraging on the one hand, and on the other hand, they evoke sympathy in others, and we have no interest in turning what is happening in the Yash into something that motivates thousands.
That's why I suggest that we treat 99% of the residents there in the right way.
A good economy and well-being among the people of Yosh is in Israel's interest. It is appropriate to let them go to work and reduce the pressure... gradually, their work can be made possible, for the sake of all of us."
Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit, the partners in the coalition, attacked Gallant for his words, and so did within the Likud.
When the faction discusses the issue, it may make a decision that will please the government and that will bind all members of the movement, including Gallant.
According to Barkat, "It's sad to see that the people of the concept still think that distributing money to the Arabs will give us peace from terrorism. It's as if nothing happened here that Saturday. It's not the role of the Israeli government to organize the work of the Arab workers. The Israeli economy needs the working hands of workers from peaceful countries, and not of those who would endanger the security of the Israeli public."
At the faction meeting, Barkat will present a presentation entitled "A national emergency plan to bring in 170,000 foreign workers and accelerate growth in the economy", in which he goes down to the small resolutions - such as mapping the branches of the economy that need foreign workers, and the agreements between the governments to guarantee the return of the workers at the end of their employment period, to prevent leakage infiltrators and the stay of workers beyond their allotted time.
In this context, the presentation emphasizes that unlike what happened with some African countries - governments in Asia, such as India, are cooperating, and are ready to commit to the return of their citizens to their country at the end of the period.
In the presentation, it was stated that the plan will result in a significant increase of NIS 40 billion in GDP, of NIS 15 billion in revenue for the state, and of 80 thousand additional jobs for Israeli workers.
This is not the first time that Barkat has tried to increase the number of foreign workers at the expense of the Arabs.
Already in July of last year he was supposed to present his plan at the cabinet meeting, but this did not help, even though it appeared on the agenda.
Since October 7, he has tried to push the plan many times, including through letters to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary, but so far without success.
Last week, the government held a discussion on the introduction of 10,000 foreign workers into the agriculture sector.
Barkat felt that they were trying to do the "salami method" here, and voted against it.
Next week the government is supposed to discuss workers for the construction industry.
It's already loaded.
Most of the Arabs who come to work in the Israeli settlements are from the construction industry.
This is a need for 100,000 workers.
According to the conduct so far, it is difficult to see that the treasury and the security system will bring such a number to the approval of the ministers.
Careful, another split
On Monday, Merav Michaeli called from the Knesset podium for the impeachment of the government, when she presented the motion of no confidence presented by her party for the first time since October 7.
A short time before, Yair Lapid gave a speech at the beginning of his faction's meeting, and he also dealt with the burning political issues of replacing the prime minister.
Only two hours passed between their disconnected, demeaning and divisive speeches and the departure of the military vehicles in search of the 21 houses on whose doors the officers knocked with the most terrible news.
Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, who can no longer hide their longing for retirement, are also stuck inside for the time being.
How will they act when the soldiers are killed, and when another kidnapping deal is still floating in space?
Not to mention the future of the north, which is shrouded in fog.
At a time like this it is difficult to talk about politics, and it is certainly difficult to do politics.
That is why the campaign of millions calling for elections has now collapsed in on itself.
No one will go to the elections.
., Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Those who think that this is what is good for Israeli society are delusional.
Even Avigdor Lieberman, the perfect cynic who will say anything he thinks will benefit him electorally, including a word and its opposite in the same sentence, understood this and announced that he would not now join any move to overthrow the government.
The public is not there, not even close.
If the municipal elections were moved because there is now a war - how detached from reality do you need to be to demand Knesset elections at the same time?
To the concern in the center-left camp that a right-wing party will arise that will blow the cards, and that will lead to the establishment of another right-wing government next time as well - this week was joined by another concern.
Eisenkot is her name.
The interview he gave to Ilana Dayan raised the question of whether the former chief of staff would leave his friend Benny Gantz, also the former chief of staff, when the state camp disintegrates with the abandonment of a new hope, and try to lead his own party - perhaps even in coordination with Gantz, in order to maximize votes.
If this happens - it will be crowded in the center-left camp, which currently has the polls in its favor.
One thing is certain: Eisenkot will not be able to disguise himself as a center-right like Gantz.
His positions, even if they have recently been deliberately blurred, are too well known.
Waiting for the High Court in the corner
On Monday, the process of removing MK Ofer Kasif from the Knesset will resume, at a hearing in the Knesset committee and later in the plenum. Currently, there is a majority of 90 MKs to complete the move, but until the last moment it will not be possible to know whether all the opposition factions that have signed will keep their word.
In response to a request from several MKs who wondered about the delay in publishing her opinion, the Knesset's legal advisor, attorney Sagit Afek, announced that she would do so during the debate, and even before the vote.
But some of the MKs behind the move fear that a negative opinion will cause the left-wing parties to line up and vote against it, and thus the number of supporters will drop from 90, and Kasif will remain as a member of the Knesset. If the procedure is completed nevertheless, the matter will be brought before the High Court.
Secretly, there are those in the coalition who are impatiently waiting to see what the Supreme Court will do. On the one hand - the well-known position of the High Court judges, who time and time again returned the nominations of the Arab MKs that were rejected by the Central Election Commission; on the other hand - a majority of 90 members Knesset, a huge and almost unprecedented majority, through which the Israeli House of Representatives says loud and clear what its position is regarding the tenure of those who are accused by them of inciting violence.
If anyone thought that the height of activism and disdain for the Knesset and the separation of powers was in the rulings on the tip of Cole, given in the matter of Basic Law: Reducing the Probability Ground and Basic Law: The Necessity - then the Supreme Court may face a much bigger test very soon.
Load on the lines
At exactly the time when the committee in the Knesset will meet to discuss Kassif's impeachment, a discussion on which the eyes of 90 MKs will be focused, the economy committee will meet to discuss a bill that has shaken the ultra-orthodox sector and the cell phone companies for many years. , the collection of sponsorship fees as a condition for the "kosher certificate", communications ministers who stand by and don't know how to handle the problem of the business monster, which according to the claim rolls about a million shekels a month on the backs of the members of the ultra-Orthodox sector - all of these will probably end in a snap vote on Monday, in which the committee A bill is expected to be approved that will grant an exclusive monopoly to the "Committee of the Rabbis for Communications Affairs", to its businesses and to the businessmen who make a lot of money thanks to it.
The idea 19 years ago was to market "dumb" phones, for calls only, and to block inappropriate calls, hot lines, hot lines, and the like.
The committee acted on behalf of the rabbis to block them and keep the phones kosher.
Very quickly some ultra-Orthodox businessmen discovered the potential, and worked to take over the committee and block any telephone service that did not align with it.
The pot swelled, and the rabbis left one by one.
Due to suspicion of criminal activity and money laundering, the Registrar of Associations decided to dissolve the association.
One of its main operators was even arrested on suspicion of extortion and threats in 15 cases.
The financial activity, about one million shekels per month, was smuggled to other associations and commercial companies.
Today, the association operates in liquidation, without any reported budget.
Zero shekels on the balance sheet.
Former Minister of Communications Yoaz Hendel tried to open the market to competition, and a competitor did arise.
Today it has 10,000 subscribers.
The original rabbinical committee has more than half a million.
The new law, which will probably be passed, will result in the closure of the competing body, preventing further competition in the future and establishing a monopoly for the committee, which is in administrative liquidation due to suspicions of illegal activity.
One after the other, the representatives of the Torah flag, Shas and some of the Agudat Israel, who were also thinking of establishing cellular kosher organizations, like in the food industry, as a result of tremendous pressure exerted on them by senior members of the Gor Hasidic community, which currently controls the committee. A few deals related to the upcoming municipal elections were enough to To break the resistance of the representatives of the ultra-Orthodox, and to grant exclusivity to the people of Great Hasidism. The only one who currently refuses to surrender is Itamar Ben Gabir. Even in his sector they want a kosher body, and Gor had no way to pressure him. He will vote against it, but for the people of Gor - it's a small amount of money to ensure a majority for the move
were we wrong
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us