Construction worker (archives)
Photo: AFP
4,000 more Palestinian laborers okayed
Social-economic cabinet approves permits for additional construction workers. Industry, Trade and Labor minister: Move will lead to more jobs
The social-economic cabinet on Sunday approved a proposal submitted by Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Binyamin Ben-Eliezer to increase the number of Palestinians from the West Bank permitted to work in Israel. The decision has the validity of a government decision.
According to the proposal, permits will be issued to 4,000 Palestinian construction workers and 1,250 additional permits to Palestinians working in other branches, at the prime minister's discretion.
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Recently, contractors have claimed that the decision will not be sufficient to compensate for the shortage of workers for wet-work. The Association of Contractors and Builders in Israel recently asked that the number of migrant laborers in the construction industry, currently around 9,000, be significantly increased.
The construction industry employs some 200,000 people – 9,000 migrant laborers, 14,000 Palestinians and the rest Israelis. Contractors claim 20,000 more workers are needed.
In submitting the proposal, Ben Eliezer is applying a government decision giving the minister of industry, trade and labor and the defense minister authority to issue 5,000 additional permits for Palestinians from the West Bank. Only 1,000 of these have so far been issued.
"In addition to assisting the construction industry," Ben Eliezer said, "this move is a step to strengthen trust between us and the Palestinian Authority." He said the move would answer the immediate shortage of workers in wet-work, which would lead to jobs for 10,000 more Israelis in other construction-related professions.
"The move will increase the supply of homes which will lead to a drop in apartment prices," the minister said. "Palestinian workers, unlike migrant workers, return home each day, and are therefore vastly preferable from our point of view. In addition, my Ministry is trying to get as many Israelis as possible to train in construction-related professions."
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