PA daily praises Israeli employers

A positive article in the Palestinian Authority’s official daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, (Sept. 21, 2014), lauded Israel and Israeli employers of Palestinians for their positive employment ethics towards their Palestinian workers. At the same time, the article condemned Palestinian employers for taking advantage of their workers.

The article explains that Palestinian workers get their full rights when employed by Israelis directly and that the only time they do not get their full rights is when there is a Palestinian middleman: “The only cases in which a Palestinian worker does not receive the salary his Israeli [employer] determined for him are those cases in which the middleman is Palestinian.”

Some of the critical findings of the PA daily included:

“Whenever Palestinian workers have the opportunity to work for Israeli employers, they are quick to quit their jobs with their Palestinian employers - for reasons having to do with salaries and other rights.”

“The salaries of workers employed by Palestinians amount to less than half the salaries of those who work for Israeli employers in the areas of the [Israel-acquired Judea and Samaria]...”

“The [Israeli] work conditions are very good, and include transportation, medical insurance and pensions. These things do not exist with Palestinian employers.”

“Israel has forced its employers in the West Bank to pay [Israeli] minimum wage, which is 23 shekels an hour, to Palestinian workers. However, the PA passed a law, but does not force the employers in the PA areas to implement it, thereby exposing the worker to potential exploitation.”

The article quotes Palestinians employed by Israelis as well as by Palestinians and compares the conditions between the two:

“Muhammad Al-Hinnawi, a construction worker, says, ‘I receive a daily salary of 70 shekels, without pension, and I have no other choice.’ By contrast, Thaer Al-Louzi, who used to work for an Israeli concrete factory, notes, ‘I received a salary of 140 shekels a day. Now, after I was injured, I receive a salary through the insurance.’”

Visit http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=12696 to see other examples of Israel portrayed in a positive light exposed by Palestinian Media Watch.