The terror attack in Tel Aviv on October 8, 2015, when a Palestinian construction worker attacked a soldier and four other civilians in the heart of the city, has potentially far-reaching implications.  This attack differs from other recent ones because the Palestinian worker was apparently from the West Bank with a permit to work in Israel. This puts into question some basic assumptions that have guided Israeli employment policy to date.  If Palestinians with permits to work in Israel are attacking Israeli citizens, it will require a rethinking of overall economic relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and the state of relatively open borders that has been largely preserved despite the separation fence.

These attacks are reminiscent of the “Intifada of Knives and Stones” that preceded the first Intifada in 1987. Those knife attacks led to Israel banning Palestinian workers from entering Israel — their main source of livelihood until then — and instead, Israel replaced them with foreign workers.

There is no doubt that the Palestinian labor in Israel is desirable in almost every respect, and Israel should seek to preserve it. However, Israel must take into consideration, that even if Palestinian workers in Israel is positive for both sides, some Palestinians see it as negative and act to impede the process, just as they did during the “Intifada of Knives.”

Due to the continued incitement against Israel, some Palestinians may enter Israel in a belligerent mood, and some of the major  arson attacks in Israel this past summer stemmed from this same incitement.

During earlier Ramadan holidays, Israel made a significant gesture in order to improve the atmosphere, and Israel opened its own borders wide open. This generated a huge response from tens of thousands of Palestinians, many of whom rushed to the beaches in Tel Aviv.

The Palestinian Authority didn’t receive this gesture warmly, due to a fear of losing control of the Palestinian population. In general, the PA has always been against economic relations with Israel and has always tried to sabotage it. In fact, one of the current goals of the PA is to cancel all economic agreements with Israel, because the PA views them as humiliating.

In other words, when Israel wants to advance the economic situation, including allowing Palestinians to work in Israel, the Palestinians view it as a threat and act to sabotage it.

There already have been occurrences like this in the past – The first “Intifada of Knives” halted Palestinians working in Israel, and now, if events do not change course soon, there will be a similar outcome.

http://jcpa.org/casualty-palestinian-terror/

1 COMMENT

  1. What’s happening is a jihad and the entire PA enterprise is becoming a shahid, martyr. There is no question that for them as an entity, honor and ‘defending’ Islam is much more important than mere income and prosperity. After all, 65% of their population is on the UNRWA dole; the rest are funded by other donors. So topics such as growing an economy or living in peace are just not part of their agenda.

    For those who fall under their jurisdiction who just want to get on with their lives, it’s not really possible: Their children are fed Jew hatred, the same that they themselves were fed since birth. All the ‘peace’ talk is from interfering meddlers who don’t understand their mentality.

    Israel made an agreement to import 20,000 skilled Chinese workers. Mexico and South America are loaded with unemployed skilled workers. There is huge unemployment in Europe and elsewhere. Israel does not need to depend on Arab labor.

    So, let’s give the PA what they want: separation. While at it: no more Israeli currency, tax collections, ports, power, water, roads, etc. Let them experience independence as might a 12 year old who wants to leave his home. Let them enjoy feeling it by looking at their very own flag flying at the UN. Ah, such pride. Then they’ll need to spend all their energy to try to figure out where to get all the necessities they lost.

    Since 1967, the Pals made no attempts for any kind of independent economy. They, like perennial children have never reached the stage of self-dependency, but rather, blame their condition on others. Well, let their workers find employment in the factories and farms that the PA built with all those billion$ in donations, if anyone can find one.

    There are millions in the world who would love and appreciate receiving Israeli incomes. So let Israel do it right and announce new work permit restrictions to squeeze out any potential arab threats and make up the rest of the labor with imports.

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