Mr. Mounir Kleibo, a Jerusalem-based expert on labour market issues and workers’ rights, delivered an intervention grounded in objective criteria aimed at identifying conditions that can safeguard Palestinian workers’ rights and prevent the severe exploitation and violations they often face.
The return of workers to their workplaces in Israel is not a security risk but a
socio-economic necessity for both sides — and it can also be a step toward
peace between the peoples.
At the end of January 2026, trade union representatives, academics, and workers—Israeli and Palestinian alike—gathered for an in-depth discussion on the consequences of Israel’s closure policy, which since October 7, 2023 has barred Palestinian workers from entering Israel. The conclusion shared by all speakers was unequivocal: preventing Palestinian workers from entering Israel lacks both security and economic justification, and its consequences have been disastrous—for Palestinians and for the Israeli economy alike.
Below are the main points presented during the discussion.
Israel engaged in a massive process of substituting Palestinian workers with migrants. On Wednesday Jan. 21 a unique Panel discussion was held, in cooperation between MAAN Workers Association, Israeli and Palestinian academics as well as Palestinian workers to delve into the issue.
Hundreds of Palestinian workers employed in hotels across Israel—including in Jerusalem, Herzliya, and the Dead Sea region—are expected to be dismissed in the coming month and replaced by migrant workers. In recent days, MAAN has received notices from workers who, throughout November, were summoned to pre-termination hearings. Some have already attended hearings and received official dismissal letters.
The management of Levi Metal and Wood Ltd. is attempting to crush the unionization of its Palestinian workers in MAAN Workers Association by targeting union activists and firing employees.
Today, on October 7, 2025, MAAN is calling the Israeli Authorities to seize the moment for ending the war and open the gates for 200,000 workers who can be a force for economic recovery and peace.
Following is A field report by MAAN Workers Association on the plight of Palestinian workers from the West Bank who lost their jobs and were left without any support or social safety net since then.
Since 2019, Akram Suleiman worked at Fattal Hotels by the Dead Sea. A native of Dahariya near Hebron, the 60-year-old father of four grown up, married children viewed his job as sacred. Managing pools and spas offered him a dignified livelihood. He proudly showcased images from the hotel life in Ein Bokek (the Dead Sea Hotels zone), including his tenure certificate and an award of excellence, alongside shared meals with colleagues.
In July of this year, Dead Sea hotels began a process aimed at replacing qualified long-time Palestinian workers with migrant laborers. According to information recently received by MAAN – Workers Association, in addition to the dozens of Palestinian workers dismissed in July from hotels owned by the Fattal Group in the Dead Sea area, the company — along with other companies in the region — intends to dismiss many more.
This important report by Times of Israel journalist Nurit Yohanan sheds light on a forgotten crisis: thousands of Palestinian workers from the West Bank are barred from their workplaces since October 2023. Published 21 months into the Gaza war, the report—produced in collaboration with MAAN—provides a far-reaching account of these workers’ plight, while contextualizing the Palestinian economy’s heavy dependence on Israel.
