According to the news of Israeli state television KAN, the Israeli Civil Control Center affiliated with the government has prepared a plan that aims to replace Palestinian workers working in Israel with foreign workers.
It was noted that this plan, which aims to reduce Israel’s dependence on Palestinian workers, will be presented to the Council of Economy Ministers within the next two weeks.
The news stated that the plan was approved by Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, and that the increase in foreign worker quotas would later be approved.
FIRST STAGE COUNTRIES
In the first phase, the plan includes bringing 25 thousand workers from Sri Lanka, 20 thousand from China, 17 thousand from India, 13 thousand from Thailand and 6 thousand from Moldova.
Agreements must be made with countries to implement this plan, which was prepared in cooperation with the Ministries of Finance, Internal Affairs and Labor.
The Tel Aviv administration’s plan to bring foreign workers from various countries of the world is expected to be implemented in the coming period, even after the Gaza war.
THE NUMBER EXCEEDS 200 THOUSAND
Approximately 180 thousand Palestinian workers work in various sectors such as construction, agriculture, food and services in different cities in Israel and in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. According to data from Palestine’s labor unions, this number exceeds 200 thousand.
However, Israel stopped the entry of tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from the occupied West Bank after October 7, when it launched attacks on the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Only some of the Palestinians in the West Bank, who are prevented from going to their jobs in Israel, are able to continue their jobs in the agricultural and food sectors.
Two-thirds of Palestinian workers in Israel work in the construction sector, followed by industry, commerce, food and hospitality sectors.
Under normal circumstances, the number of unemployed people in the West Bank and Gaza was 369 thousand in the third quarter of 2023, but when Palestinians who could not return to their jobs in Israel were added, this number increased to 547 thousand.
According to Israel’s National Security Council, the labor market urgently needs more than 28,000 workers, including 9,500 in the agricultural sector.
The total wages of Palestinian workers working in Israel amount to 1.5 billion shekels ($417 million) per month, and these workers constitute the most important financial resources of the Palestinian market.
According to data from the Palestinian Statistics Center, the average daily wage of a Palestinian worker working in Israel approached 300 shekels ($84) in the third quarter of 2023.
According to data from the Palestinian Statistical Center and the Israeli Bureau of Statistics, the total workforce in the Israeli market by the end of the last quarter of 2023 is 4.2 million. Israel has lost almost a quarter of its workforce for various reasons since the attacks on Gaza began.
Source: AA
