T. Belman. Bennett wants to embrace Arabs whereas Herzog wants to separate. Israelis, I think, prefer to separate than to embrace.
Bennett calls on Cabinet to add 100,000 Arab workers, claiming financial incentives will quell terror and those with permits don’t attack.
By Ari Yashar, ARUTZ SHEVA
Jewish Home chairperson and Education Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday made a proposal for “solving” the scourge of terrorism by illegal Arab workers, by calling to more than double the work permits handed to Arab residents of Judea and Samaria.
At the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday a discussion was held on increasing the punishment for those who provide housing for Arabs from the region who illegally enter sovereign Israeli territory, and in many cases utilize their illegal entry to launch terror attacks.
Bennett proposed a solution according to The Marker, saying that in addition to increasing the punishment for those who hire Palestinians illegally, the quota on legal work permits allowing entry for Judea and Samaria Arabs should be raised by another 100,000 workers.
The number is staggering, given that the current quota stands at 55,000 work permits in sovereign Israel and another 25,000 in Judea and Samaria, according to the Bank of Israel. It is estimated that another 30,000 Arabs work illegally without entry permits.
Bennett’s proposal would more than double the current number of work permits.
Giving reasons for his proposal, the Jewish Home head first claimed that those with permits don’t conduct terror attacks. That claim has proven wrong on numerous occasions, such as the Arab terrorist who last November murdered two Jews at prayer in Tel Aviv, and who, like many other terrorists, took advantage of his legal status to launch an attack.
The second reason given by Bennett was that the work permit increase would reduce the number of attacks because according to him, the extended family of the worker would know that if one of them conducts an attack, they will all lose their source of income.
Cabinet enthusiasm
According to sources close to Bennett, the Cabinet meeting accepted his proposal warmly, with ministers Yoav Galant and Moshe Ya’alon calling it a good and practical idea, while Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said he would discuss the proposal.
In recent years Israel has been increasingly granting more and more work permits to Arab residents of Judea and Samaria, with the total number doubling in the last four years after the state lowered the age limit to receive the permits to 22.
Bennett has in the past made similar arguments that the state should offer greater financial incentives to the Arab public, claiming that doing so will reduce terrorism.
The Jewish Home head has introduced a number of initiatives to increase the economic standing of Arab citizens. In the last government as Economics Minister he oversaw a $2.5 million program integrating Arabs in the hi-tech industry. In March 2013, he told the Europe Israel Press Association (EIPA) that the issue of increasing the number of Arab women in the workforce is “his baby.”
As Education Minister, last August he launched a $7.9 million plan to teach Arab students Hebrew in kindergarten, to improve Arab employment and economic power, and then in December he announced that he is establishing the “first Arab college” in Israel.
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Israeli Military Plans To Allow 30,000 Extra Palestinians To Work In Israel
The number is staggering, given that the current quota stands at 55,000 work permits in sovereign Israel and another 25,000 in the West Bank, according to the Bank of Israel. It is estimated that another 30,000 Arabs work illegally without entry permits.
According to the Haaretz report, only two terror attacks in the current wave were carried out by Palestinians working in Israel. Around 58,000 Palestinians have Israeli work visas and about 27,000 work in industrial zones in West Bank settlements.
The extra 30,000 workers would be employed in areas such as construction, manufacturing and agriculture.
The plan, whose main points have already been approved by the inner cabinet, was shown last month to the Israel Defense Forces’ top brass, including Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and Coordinator of Government Activity in the Territories Maj.-Gen. Yoav (Poli) Mordechai.
Ya’alon and IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot have both indicated their opposition to collective punishment — e.g. denying work permits en masse in the wake of terror attacks — and have been careful to draw a distinction between terrorists and the rest of the West Bank’s Palestinian population, the majority of whom are not involved in the violence.
Habayit Hayehudi head Naftali Bennett has also voiced his support for such a move, as has Israel’s internal security agency, the Shin Bet, which would also be responsible for vetting all Palestinians being given permits to work in Israel.
Read more about: Israel, Palestinians
I have said for years that at least since the decision to abort the POD gaza war based on the qatar “brokered truce” BB has “understandings” with the GCC. Through all the narratives both before and after the last two gaza wars and Morsi.. Israel has been working with qatar as the rep of the GCC.
It makes me sick. Why? Why israeli government, time and time again makes problems for themselves.
@ Ted Belman:
The strong implication by Herzog plan is that building (assumption ONLY) will go inside the Wall in the Blocks and no building will done outside the walls.
I think the dispute between embrace and separations could have major electoral implications.
From what I have read about the separation plan, it is silent on construction outside the fences. I think it is also silent about construction inside the fences given the de facto freeze. So where is Herzog on this.
So if only 5 workers turn they hate of Jews into action how many dead Jews will be the net result. Has someone forgotten the workers who killed Jews with bulldozers
The vacillation is mind boggling. Take work permits no give work permits. We have been down this road before. Truly playing Russian roulette with the lives of Jews.
I guess I’m too stupid to comprehend the thought processes of such brilliant right-place right-time one time multimillionaires.