Jobless, Unpaid, and Uncompensated: The Plight of Palestinian Workers Amidst Crisis

Due to the ongoing situation, Palestinian workers in the West Bank have been unable to access their workplaces for over a month, leaving them without salaries. In response, workers’ rights groups are advocating for a one-time payment from the workers’ pension fund, Amitim, to provide some financial relief.

The letter, addressed to Attorney Inbal Mashash, who oversees the employment of Palestinian workers in Israel in Matash (the Payment Division of the Population and Immigration Authority), has been drafted by Kav Laoved, MAAN Workers Association, and the Law Clinics for Workers Rights at Tel Aviv University. These organizations have requested to this one-time compensation, with the aim to address the financial strain on Palestinian workers, who have been barred from entering Israel for their jobs as a result of the current conflict. The proposal highlights the need for a solution to support these workers during this challenging period.

The joint letter outlines a crucial step that must be considered for the welfare and relief of approximately 100,000 Palestinian workers from the West Bank. These workers have been unable to access their jobs in Israel since October 7th due to the closure of the West Bank and the sealing of entry checkpoints. While a few thousand workers in essential roles in the settlements and Atarot Industrial Zone have been allowed entry, the vast majority remain unable to work. With no existing compensation mechanism or unemployment benefits available, these workers are left without any source of income

The letter details the urgent need for an extraordinary measure to be taken in light of the current situation. The suggested solution is to provide a one-time payment from their pension fund, Amitim, to help mitigate the financial hardships faced due to this prolonged period of unemployment.

In addition to this issue, the letter also requested assurances that the temporary halt of employment and remittances to the workers’ savings will not affect their insurance sequence and will not detract from their accumulated rights.

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Palestinian Workers

Barred from their jobs

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.

07/10/2025

Palestinian Workers

Government Orders Hotels to Replace Palestinians with Sri Lankans

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.

04/09/2025

Palestinian Workers

Ministry of Tourism Urges Dead Sea Hotels to Dismiss Veteran Palestinian Workers and Replace Them with Migrant Laborers

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.

06/08/2025

Arab women

Solidarity Across the Hives: A Visit to the Women of the Jahalin Tribe

At the end of May, a moving solidarity event was held at Dizengoff Center in Tel Aviv, where for the first time, members of six groups of “Bees for Peace” from across Israel gathered. One group, however, was absent — the women of Jahalin.

04/08/2025

Palestinian Workers

Palestinian Workers Banned from Jobs Since October 2023

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.

24/07/2025

The East Jerusalem Project

Proof of Residency – a Success Story from East Jerusalem

Rana, a 20-year-old woman from Jabal al-Mukabbir in East Jerusalem, is married to a Jerusalem resident. On April 26, 2024, she gave birth to her first child. As a permanent resident of Jerusalem, Rana expected to receive a birth grant and child allowance from the National Insurance Institute (NII). However, when no payment arrived, her sister advised her to contact MAAN Workers Association.

21/07/2025

Jobless, Unpaid, and Uncompensated: The Plight of Palestinian Workers Amidst Crisis

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Barred from their jobs

Government Orders Hotels to Replace Palestinians with Sri Lankans

Ministry of Tourism Urges Dead Sea Hotels to Dismiss Veteran Palestinian Workers and Replace Them with Migrant Laborers

Solidarity Across the Hives: A Visit to the Women of the Jahalin Tribe

Palestinian Workers Banned from Jobs Since October 2023

אנא כתבו את שמכם המלא, טלפון ותיאור קצר של נושא הפנייה, ונציג\ה של מען יחזרו אליכם בהקדם האפשרי.

رجاءً اكتبوا اسمكم الكامل، الهاتف، ووصف قصير حول موضوع توجهكم، ومندوب عن نقابة معًا سيعاود الاتصال بكم لاحقًا

As an organization committed to the rights of workers without distinction of religion, race, nationality, gender, or profession - democracy is our essence. We strongly oppose the authoritarian laws that the extreme government of Netanyahu, Lapid, Bennett, and Smotrich is attempting to impose.

Without democracy, there are no workers' rights, just as a workers' organization cannot exist under dictatorship.

We invite you:

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