A high-ranking source in the Israeli construction industry insists that some 8,000 Palestinian workers from Judea and Samaria have recently, “secretly,” as he puts it, obtained permission to enter Israel and are already working on construction sites across the country and that another 8,000 are currently working. He is expected to enter soon. The same source, which directly employs some of these workers, claims that these are Palestinian workers who worked in Israel in the past, and have now obtained new visas from the Shin Bet (Israeli security service).
Since the beginning of the war, Palestinian construction workers have been denied entry, whether from Judea and Samaria or from the Gaza Strip, resulting in a shortage of more than 100,000 workers in the construction sector. Throughout the war, some politicians, including Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, called for re-allowing the entry of Palestinian construction workers, even partially, but the government's official position so far is to impose a complete ban on the entry of Palestinians. Workers.
Now, according to the senior source, Palestinian workers are being brought to Israel practically, and in an ever-increasing flow. In this context, Channel 13 news correspondent Yossi Eli revealed about two months ago that 2,396 companies and factories in Israel hold entry permits for thousands of Palestinian workers, because they are “essential businesses.”
However, the Israeli Civil Administration strongly denies all these reports and allegations and insists that they are not true. “There is currently no approval to bring construction workers to Israel,” she says.
In a related context, Globes reported earlier that thousands of Palestinian construction workers have been working illegally in the Palestinian territories since the outbreak of the war.
Construction contractors ask Netanyahu to recruit 40,000 Palestinian workers
Today, Israel Builders Association President Raul Srogo sent an urgent letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claiming that the construction industry is “at its worst point ever.” He warns of “the expected collapse of the construction and infrastructure industry, if the government continues to act as it has been acting, negligently, completely isolated from reality, and without management and coordination between government ministries.”
Srogo claims that due to the severe workforce shortage, and the fact that so far less than 2,000 new foreign workers have entered Israel, most building contractors will fall behind schedule by 6-8 months in delivering apartments. “Under the provisions of the Apartment Sellers Law, they must pay billions of shekels in fines to apartment buyers due to delays,” he writes, calling on the Prime Minister and Finance Minister to decide on immediately bringing 40,000 Palestinian workers to Israel. From Judea and Samaria to work in the construction and infrastructure sector.
Srogo also wants to hold a personal meeting with Netanyahu to discuss the situation. He writes: “After seven months during which no real strategic plan has been formed to resolve the crisis, which will inevitably lead to a housing crisis and a national infrastructure crisis in the State of Israel, I am addressing you personally in my capacity as the Association of Builders of Israel.” I ask Mr. President to hold an urgent meeting with the heads of the construction and infrastructure industry in Israel, with the Minister of Finance, to present directly to you the seriousness of the situation and ways to get out of the crisis immediately.”
Published by Globes, Israel Business News – en.globes.co.il – on May 1, 2024.
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