Permits for peace? Israel allows entry to 120,000 Palestinians

“The more Palestinians with permits there are, the less chance of terror attacks,” a defense official said.

By World Israel News Staff

The Israeli government on Wednesday raised the number of permits for Palestinians from Judea and Samaria to work in Israel by an additional 20,000, to a total of 120,000, in what security officials said will “reduce the chance of terror attacks,” Ynet reported.

The news comes in the wake of a string of terror attacks that claimed the lives of 19 people. Many of the terrorists entered Israel illegally through breaches in the security fence. The attacks have forced the defense establishment to recalculate existing policies regarding Arabas from the PA, and according to the report, it came to the conclusion that providing economic stability for Palestinians by issuing more permits will reduce the incentive to engage in terrorism.

“The more Palestinians with permits there are, the less chance of terror attacks,” Ynet cited a defense official as saying.

According to the report, doing so will allow Israel to more closely monitor and vet Palestinians who wish to enter Israel.

The military will also earmark nearly 1.5 billion NIS ($435 million) to tightening security around the fence, including fixing breaches and deploying hundreds of troops to the area. The budget will also go towards improving accessibility to Israel by upgrading the crossings.

The program, which was coordinated with the Shin Bet security agency, also expanded the pool of Palestinians able to apply for permits. Until now, only married men aged 22 and over could apply for an employment permit. As of Wednesday, unmarried men aged 27 and above could also apply, and single men aged 22-27 could apply as long as they have a close relative employed in the construction industry.

Pending individual approval from the Shin Bet, Palestinians who were previously barred from entering Israel over minor security offences from more than a decade ago will now be allowed to apply for permits and have their records expunged.

Contractors welcomed the new measures.  Eran Rawls, CEO of the Center for Israeli Construction, told Ynet: “The economy needs skilled workers. In light of the severe housing shortage, accelerating construction should be seen as a national task and must be supported by a significant increase in skilled workers.

“The new move will also ensure that those who enter do so under control and supervision. In the end, all parties are satisfied: the army, the contractors and the workers.”

Earlier this year, the number of permits for Gazans to work in Israel was raised by 8,000, to a total of 20,000.