PA seeks to protect rights of Palestinians working in Israel
Palestinian workers going through a checkpoint
International labor officials applaud the Palestinian government’s recent decision to ban brokerages that “blackmail” Palestinians seeking permits to work in Israel. However, more work needs to be done, they said.
The government on Oct. 15 issued a decision to ban the practices of these intermediaries, who charge between 1,500 and 3,000 shekels ($425 and $850) per month, Haaretz reported Oct. 23. Palestinian Minister of Labor Nasri Abu Jaish released a statement saying the government decision also will allow workers to prosecute intermediaries to recover the amounts they paid.
In an Oct. 21 letter to Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) welcomed the ban, saying brokerage “promotes modern forms of slavery.” The ITUC, which says it represents 207 million workers in 63 countries, called the ban a good first step and urged the government to take additional measures to protect workers.
The number of permits issued for free for Palestinians is estimated at 100,000 per year. Israel sets conditions for acquiring the permits, including that the recipient must be over 22 years old, married and have no security records. Israel also does a background check to make sure workers haven’t been involved in any hostile act against Israel.
Rami Mahdawi, director-general of employment at the Palestinian Ministry of Labor, told Al-Monitor the ministry is seeking to have several Palestinians prosecuted for allegedly exploiting workers’ needs to obtain work permits in Israel. He expects legal measures will be taken.