Is the return of West Bank workers close? Badarneh reveals new information about an Israeli decision and mounting economic pressures

Bethlehem - Ofoq News - The legal advisor to the Arab Workers Union in Nazareth, Wehbi Badarneh, revealed new information related to the file of Palestinian workers, the most prominent of which is that the Israeli Interior Ministries have taken, according to what he reported, a decision to stop bringing in foreign workers as of 2027, in light of the mounting pressure exerted by Israeli employers to return Palestinian workers, after the failure of foreign workers to fill the void left by their absence from the labor market for three years.

Badarneh stressed that these developments carry new indicators that enhance hope for the possibility of Palestinian workers returning to their workplaces, especially with the worsening crisis in the construction, renovation, and services sectors inside Israel, noting that about 60% of construction companies and workshops have collapsed or closed, according to data reported by the Israeli Employers Union, at a time when the number of Palestinian workers entering to work without permits has increased from 8,000 to 31,000 workers.

Badarneh’s statements came during an interview on the “Talat Sabah” program, presented by journalist Adel Gharib, and broadcast on “Radio” 4, “Ofoq News” satellite channel, and the Ma’an radio network. He addressed the reality of Palestinian workers after three years of war, the repercussions of continuing to prevent them from reaching their workplaces, and the worsening economic and humanitarian pressures facing tens of thousands of Palestinian families.

Information revealed for the first time regarding the recruitment of foreign workers

In the most prominent thing he revealed during the interview, Badarneh said that the Israeli Interior Ministries had taken a decision to stop bringing in foreign workers to work inside the country starting in 2027, stressing that this information was revealed for the first time through the media, and that it came to him from informed sources among Israeli employers.

He explained that the decision, according to the information he obtained, came after hundreds of complaints submitted by Israeli employers regarding foreign workers, especially workers recruited from India and other Asian countries, as a result of their inability to provide the professionalism and seriousness that the Palestinian worker enjoyed in the construction and renovation sectors and other professions.

Badarneh said that the concerned Israeli authorities have begun to reach the conviction that foreign workers are not a real substitute for Palestinian workers, and that attempts to compensate for their absence have not achieved the desired results.

He added that Palestinian workers possess professional experience accumulated over many years, and that Israeli employers have begun to realize the magnitude of the losses resulting from dispensing with this experience.

He stressed that this shift does not stem from political or humanitarian considerations as much as it is linked to economic interests and the Israeli labor market’s need for Palestinian workers.

He considered that stopping the recruitment of foreign workers, if officially confirmed, would be an important indicator of the possibility of reconsidering the policy of preventing Palestinian workers from working, but at the same time he stressed that hope does not mean there is a final decision for their return.

60% of construction companies and workshops collapsed or closed

Badarneh spoke about the extent of the crisis that the Israeli construction sector is experiencing, stressing that the absence of Palestinian workers has caused wide economic repercussions on contractors and project owners.

He said that 60% of construction companies and workshops collapsed completely or were closed permanently, according to statistics that he attributed to the Israeli Employers Union.

He explained that these numbers reflect the scale of the crisis facing the construction sector, as a result of the acute shortage of professional labor and the inability of foreign workers to compensate Palestinian workers.

He pointed out that Israeli contractors are now speaking publicly about the losses they are incurring, and about their urgent need for the return of Palestinian workers.

Badarna cited a contractor from the town of Kabul in the Galilee, who appeared on a local radio station in Nazareth talking about his losses, demanding that Palestinian workers be returned to their workplaces, after employing foreign workers became a financial burden on contractors.

He stressed that this crisis is no longer limited to the construction sector, but has extended to the restaurants, services and renovation sectors, where employers face great difficulties in finding qualified workers.

He pointed out that three months ago, Israeli restaurant owners went to the Knesset to demand the return of the Palestinian workers, stressing their readiness to receive the workers at the checkpoints and take them to the workplace if they were allowed to enter.

He pointed out the closure of a fish restaurant in the city of Jaffa as a result of the shortage of workers, considering that these facts reflect the extent of dependence on the Palestinian worker in multiple economic sectors.

The number of workers without permits increased from 8,000 to 31,000

In the context of his talk about the insistence of Palestinian workers to return to their jobs despite the imposed restrictions, Badarneh revealed that the number of workers working inside the Green Line without permits rose during the years of war from 8,000 workers to 31,000 Palestinian workers.

He explained that these numbers are based on data that he attributed to the Contractors Union, Israeli employers, and the Israeli police.

He said that this increase reflects the extent of the suffering experienced by the Palestinian worker, who now faces harsh choices between remaining without a source of income or risking his life in search of a job opportunity.

He stressed that the continued arrest and persecution campaigns and the tightening of security measures did not prevent thousands of workers from trying to reach their workplaces.

He pointed out that Palestinian workers continue to work in various areas, including Nazareth, Haifa, Galilee, Negev, Beersheba and Rahat, despite the risks associated with working without permits.

Badarneh explained that there are also tens of thousands of Palestinian workers who work legally, in addition to between 30,000 and 40,000 workers working in the settlements, estimating that the total number of Palestinian workers working in these sectors and regions amounts to about 90,000 workers.

He considered that these numbers confirm the continued connection of Palestinian workers to the Israeli labor market, despite the measures imposed since the beginning of the war.

27 Palestinian workers lost their lives at the wall

Badarneh touched on the risks to which Palestinian workers are exposed during their attempts to reach their workplaces, noting that 27 Palestinian workers were martyred at the wall, according to the numbers he provided during the interview.

He stressed that these numbers cannot be treated as mere statistics, because behind every worker is a family, children, and living responsibilities.

He said that the Palestinian worker leaves his home not knowing whether he will return to his family, but he finds himself forced to take risks due to difficult economic conditions and the lack of alternatives.

Badarneh told the story of a Palestinian worker from Qabatiya who he met while working in the Galilee region, where the worker expressed his willingness to bear risks in order to provide bread and school needs for his children.

He explained that the worker told him that what he fears most is not death, but rather the inability to provide a loaf of bread for his children or buy a book and notebook for them when they go to school.

He considered that this testimony sums up the reality of thousands of Palestinian workers who have been facing poverty, unemployment, and loss of sources of income for three years.

He stressed that the Palestinian worker does not want to beg or depend on aid, but rather wants to work with honor and dignity and secure his family’s needs.

An increase in arrests and new security measures

Badarneh confirmed that the last year witnessed an escalation in Israeli arrest and prosecution campaigns against Palestinian workers, pointing to the intensification of security measures and detention operations.

He said that there is an Israeli intention to open a new prison for workers in the Haifa area, considering that the continuation of these measures will not end the phenomenon of Palestinian workers entering the Israeli labor market.

He explained that workers continue to search for work opportunities despite the arrests and risks, because living conditions push them to do so.

He pointed out that the arrest campaigns include different areas, including Nazareth, Haifa, the Negev, Beersheba and Rahat, pointing out that the Israeli authorities announced in one of the campaigns the arrest of 50 people in Nazareth on charges of working without permits.

Badarna criticized the way these people were dealt with, noting that some of the detainees were boys who worked at traffic lights.

He stressed that the issue cannot be addressed with security measures alone, because the root of the problem is depriving workers of their sources of livelihood and not providing economic alternatives that guarantee them a decent life.

Increasing economic pressure to return Palestinian workers

Badarneh pointed out that the Israeli Employers Union in the construction and renovation sectors is exerting increasing pressure to return Palestinian workers, after the economic crisis reached unprecedented levels.

He said that employers have come to realize that the continued absence of Palestinian workers leads to financial losses, project closures, and business interruption.

He explained that the pressures are not limited to contractors, but rather include the restaurant and service sectors that rely heavily on Palestinian professional expertise.

He added that Israeli economic authorities began to realize that bringing in foreign workers did not provide an actual solution to the labor shortage crisis.

He pointed out that, according to the information he provided, the Israeli authorities granted work permits to 15,000 Palestinian workers, considering that this step carries important implications regarding the need for Palestinian workers.

He stressed that these indicators do not necessarily mean that a comprehensive decision to return workers is imminent, but rather they reflect a change in the economic data that governs this file.

Monthly losses amounting to 7 million shekels due to foreign workers

Badarna revealed other economic problems related to the employment of foreign workers, noting that some recruited workers leave the work sites to which they were recruited and move to work in an unorganized manner.

He said that the Israeli Tax Authority is reportedly talking about monthly losses amounting to 7 million shekels as a result of employing foreign workers without official registration.

He explained that some contractors employ foreign workers without legal papers or registrations, which leads to tax losses and increases labor market complications.

He considered that these problems contributed to the escalation of complaints against foreign workers, and to strengthening demands for the return of Palestinian workers who possess the required professional experience.

Badarneh: I do not count on the Israeli elections

Regarding the possibility of a breakthrough in the workers’ file as the Israeli elections approach, Badarneh stressed that he does not pin his hopes on Israeli political parties or figures.

He said that there are many news, rumors and promises circulating through the media and social networks regarding the possibility of returning Palestinian workers after the elections.

He pointed out that there were promises from Israeli political figures, including Gadi Eisenkot, but stressed that he did not base his expectations on these statements.

He stressed that the real criterion for any change is to see tens of thousands of Palestinian workers crossing the barriers legally and holding work permits that enable them to return to their workplaces.

He explained that previous experiences showed that electoral promises are not enough to bring about actual change, and that what is required is to take official decisions to ensure the return of workers.

On the other hand, he considered that the escalating economic pressures and the need of Israeli employers for Palestinian workers constitute factors that may push towards a reconsideration of the imposed restrictions, away from electoral calculations.

A stifling humanitarian crisis and families cannot buy medicines

On the humanitarian side of the interview, Badarneh revealed the extent of the suffering experienced by the families of Palestinian workers, stressing that the crisis is no longer limited to the loss of work and income, but has reached the inability to purchase medicines and provide basic needs.

He said that the Arab Workers Union receives continuous calls from families in the West Bank, especially from the northern areas of the West Bank and Jenin, requesting assistance in providing medicines.

He explained that many families send prescriptions and lists of the medications they need, while the union works to provide what it can with the help of donors and philanthropists at home.

He stressed that the volume of requests reflects the deteriorating living conditions of workers’ families, who have lost their sources of income and are no longer able to meet their daily needs.

Badarneh criticized what he described as the lack of sufficient interest in the issue of Palestinian workers from institutions, parties and factions, considering that this segment faces a severe living crisis without real solutions.

He said that the union continues to provide assistance according to its capabilities, but it cannot replace the official authorities responsible for dealing with the crisis.

He stressed that humanitarian aid, despite its importance, does not constitute a sustainable solution, and that the real solution is to enable workers to return to their jobs and secure stable sources of income for their families.

After three years.. Is a breakthrough in the workers’ file approaching?

At the conclusion of the interview, Badarneh stressed that recent economic developments have restored hope for the possibility of a breakthrough in the issue of Palestinian workers, after three years of suffering, unemployment and loss of sources of livelihood.

He explained that the information related to stopping the recruitment of foreign workers starting in 2027, along with the pressures exerted by Israeli employers and the accumulated losses in the construction and services sectors, constitute new indicators worth monitoring.

He said that he did not have the same hope during the past years, but today he sees different facts that may open the way for a change in the reality of Palestinian workers.

He stressed that the workers’ insistence on working, despite the difficult circumstances, reflects the extent of the need for serious solutions that guarantee them a decent life.

He stressed that the Palestinian worker has proven his professional standing in the labor market, and that his absence has caused a crisis that foreign workers have not been able to address.

Badarna concluded by stressing that “the solution is the return of the workers,” considering that continuing to prevent them from reaching their workplaces does not provide a solution to the worsening humanitarian and economic crisis.