Palestinians in the West Bank follow Israel’s elections — Jerusalem Post
Palestinians in the West Bank are closely following the upcoming elections in Israel, which are due to take place at the end of October. Some of the region’s residents surveyed consider them more important than the elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council, scheduled by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for November 28, The Jerusalem Post reports.
Work and income
Palestinian contractor Ibrahim Zoul from the village of Husan west of Bethlehem said that the outcome of the Israeli vote is of great importance to tens of thousands of Palestinian workers. After Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, Israel banned workers from the West Bank from entering the country for work, except for a limited number of people in sectors considered vital.
According to Zoul, people hope that a new government may change this policy and allow them to earn money in Israel again. He also noted that some Israeli employers are interested in the return of Palestinian workers, while many West Bank residents cannot find work locally and struggle to cover basic needs.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Expectations from the new government
A Palestinian public-sector employee, who asked not to be named, said that civil servants receive about half of their salaries or slightly more. He linked this to Israel’s withholding of Palestinian revenues, leaving the Palestinian Authority without sufficient funds for full payments.
Under Israeli law, Israel deducts from the tax revenues it transfers to the Palestinian Authority an amount equivalent to payments to Palestinian prisoners convicted of attacks on Israelis. Together with cuts in foreign aid, this has created a financial deficit for the Palestinian Authority; public-sector employees are usually paid 50–70% of their salaries.
Palestinian analyst Ghassan Khatib said that Palestinians’ interest in Israel’s elections is natural, as they link their daily living conditions and future to Israeli politics. He also referred to a recent poll by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Centre in Ramallah, according to which most Palestinians have lost trust in their own leadership.
