West Bank local authority leaders urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to make any decisions about letting Palestinian workers into Israel without consulting them first in a letter on Thursday.
Since the beginning of the war, Israel has not allowed Palestinians from the West Bank into Israel for work out of concern for security risks, but the result is that together with most foreign workers leaving the country, many important industries are facing a shortage of manpower.
Should Israel let workers from the West Bank enter the country?
Earlier this week, the government debated allowing some Palestinian workers into Israel, but the cabinet meeting ended without any decisions being made and another meeting was set to debate the issue.
But while Israel is in desperate need of more workers, some ministers oppose the entry of West Bank Palestinians for work after reports that Gazans who were allowed to enter Israel for work gave Hamas crucial information to aid in the October 7 massacre.
“Allowing Palestinian workers from the West Bank to return to work in Israel is wrong and dangerous,” said Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Wednesday. “These are people who are drowning in incitement and hatred for Israel and the Jews. Israel must release from Palestinian workers today and increase the number of foreign workers from friendly nations. No consideration is more important than the safety of Israel’s citizens.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that Sa’ar was right.
“The conception that withdrawals and money can ‘buy peace’ has collapsed,” he added. “The vast majority of Israeli citizens understand the dangers and that we cannot turn a blind eye to them.”
Meanwhile, officials in Israel’s security forces have recommended increasing Palestinian workers in Israel.
