Why 'Palestinians' want to work in 'settlements': It's the money, stupid!
You've probably guessed already why 'Palestinians' want to work in Israeli 'settlements' in Judea and Samaria and in the Jewish suburbs of 'east' Jerusalem. But in case you haven't, here are the statistics that point out the obvious. The 'Palestinians' make (literally) double as much when they work for the Jews. PCBS research showed that 38.3 percent of the workforce was employed in the service sector, with 19.3 percent in commerce, hotels and restaurants, 14.2 percent in illegal West Bank settlements -- up from 13.9 percent in 2009 -- and 24 percent in the public sector.Recall my discussion last week of my trips to Mishor Adumim. Almost all the employees at the establishment I had to visit was 'Palestinians.' The parking lot of the industrial area and just about everyone I met there was a 'Palestinian.' And I guarantee you that they were making more money there than any 'Palestinian' working in nearby Jericho.
Average daily wages for settlement workers were 150 shekels ($44) per day, compared to 76.9 ($22) in the West Bank and 46.2 ($13.50) in Gaza, the latest research showed.
The figures for settlement workers are likely to concern leaders of the Palestinian Authority, who have said they will outlaw all work in Israeli factories across the Green Line by 2012.
President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated Tuesday his intention to seek UN recognition of a Palestinian state by September, after peace talks broke down over the issue of West Bank settlement growth.
On Wednesday, Palestinian Authority prime minister Salam Fayyad said the international community should get ready for a Palestinian state , speaking at a conference of anti-settlement activists near Ramallah.
But settlement leader Yaakov David Ha'ivri called on the Palestinian leadership to admit that the settlements benefit workers, saying workers likely made even more than double the average wage.
"Palestinian workers in our factories are making closer to three times the wages they would be making in the PA. I guess that is the reason that Salam Fayyad's threats to impose a workers boycott never materialized.
"It would be very interesting to see the results of a true open and democratic referendum of the local Arab population" to learn if they would prefer the ban on settlements or continue working in them, he added.
Among other figures released by the PCBS, the unemployment rate in the Tulkarem governorate was the highest in the West Bank, at 22.3 percent, while in Gaza, Khan Younis had the highest at 44.7 percent.
Overall, unemployment in the Gaza Strip fell almost ten percent in 2010, down to 37.8 percent, and continues to fall in the West Bank, hitting 17.2 percent in 2010.
Just one of the many reasons why - when asked - 'Palestinians' would prefer to live in Israel over living in a 'Palestinian state.' Unlike their 'leadership,' they are not corrupt fools.
Labels: Palestinian employment in Jewish towns
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:22 AM
2 Comments:
"Just one of the many reasons why - when asked - 'Palestinians' would prefer to live in Israel over living in a 'Palestinian state.' Unlike their 'leadership,' they are not corrupt fools."
Well, fine, but then Kahane advocates might reconsider his vigorous not-in-my-backyard advocacy.
Palestinians did better working within the Green line itself back in the days of the pre-Oslo occupation. If the PA were making solid progress towards building a self-sufficient economic infrastructure they could reverse the pattern but seems like they hope to shut down non-PA employment opportunities first.
Just maybe the Palestinians don't want a state yet.... their unelected leadership hasn't bothered to consult them about a move that could have a negative effect on their future.
The very people relevant to whether or not there should be a Palestinian state have been left out of the discussion.
What could go wrong indeed
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