Israel’s Treatment of Palestinian Workers

A positive article in the Palestinian Authority’s official daily [newspaper] lauded Israel and Israeli employers of Palestinians for their positive employment ethics towards their Palestinian workers. The article explains that Palestinian workers get their full rights when employed by Israelis directly and that the only time they do not get their full rights is when there is a Palestinian middleman.

Some of the critical findings of the PA daily included:

“Whenever Palestinian workers have the opportunity to work for Israeli employers, they are quick to quit their jobs with their Palestinian employers—for reasons having to do with salaries and other rights. The salaries of workers employed by Palestinians amount to less than half the salaries of those who work for Israeli employers in the areas of the Israel-occupied West Bank [Judea and Samaria]…

“The [Israeli] work conditions are very good, including transportation, medical insurance and pensions. These things do not exist with Palestinian employers. Israel has forced its employers in the West Bank to pay [Israeli] minimum wage, which is 23 shekels an hour, to Palestinian workers. However, the PA passed a law, but does not force the employers in the PA areas to implement it, thereby exposing the worker to potential exploitation.”