A course on biodynamic beekeeping ended in June of 2024 in the village of Baqa al-Gharbia, where 17 graduates each received a hive containing a queen and a swarm of bees. The course, which began in February under the guidance of educator and expert Yossi Aud, founder of the Bees for Peace project, took place at the MAAN Workers Association’s Center in the Triangle region, managed by Wafa Tiara.
Israeli Policy Towards Palestinian Workers is wrong and Full of Contradictions, as it severely harms their need to make a living, and on the other hand, it destroys the Israeli economy without providing realistic alternatives.
In light of the total lockdown on the entry of Palestinian workers since the beginning of the war, two major labor organizations in Israel adopted a negative stance towards the return of Palestinian workers to their work in Israel.
MAAN joined other groups in filing a petition to the High Court of Justice against the Israeli government, demanding that authorities be held accountable to prevent the extreme exploitation of migrant workers, which could reach conditions of actual slavery. The petition, filed July 18th warns of the destructive impact of massive and unregulated importation of workers on the overall Israeli labor market, the severe harm to Palestinian workers’ ability to earn a living, and the expected damage to the Palestinian economy and regional security. The petitioners accuse the government of making these fateful decisions in secrecy.
17 inspiring women, both Arab and Jewish, participated in a unique course to learn about biodynamic beekeeping at MAAN’s office in Baqa al-Gharbiyeh (Triangle region, Israel). This project, consisting of six intensive sessions begun in May, and was the result of a longstanding collaboration between Sindyanna of Galilee and MAAN – Workers’ Organization, as part of the “Women and Work” project that MAAN has been running in the Triangle for 19 years.
Susanne B. is a 47-year-old woman, divorced with three children, one of whom is a minor (ages 20, 18, and 17). She lives in the Old City and has been working for over ten years as a seamstress in a monastery.
Hana introduced me to Wafa Tayara from another nearby village, Kufr Kara. Wafa is an activist and the director of MAAN Workers Association’s program Women and Work. She is also the chairwoman of Sindyanna of Galilee, the only internationally certified Fair Trade social business in Israel.
Since the outbreak of the war, MAAN – Workers Association has secured the labor rights, social security benefits, unemployment benefits, and support for work accidents for over 300 residents of East Jerusalem. This includes opening checkpoints and distributing food vouchers, translating to over 3 million NIS in benefits. Notably, over 40% of those who received assistance are women.
Wednesday, May 15, the Israeli government approved a structural reform on employment of migrant workers where it allowed a ceiling of 330,000 overseas workers in the Israeli job market. MAAN sees this decision as a step that defies all economic logic, contradicts labor market planning, and opens the way to a dangerous expansion of human trafficking for labor purposes in Israel. In addition, the decision reflects complete disregard for the consequences of the continued halt in employment of Palestinians.
From now on, Palestinian Authority residents who work in Israel or Israeli settlements will be able to access their personal area on the website of the National Insurance Institute (NII), submitting claims and documents as their Israeli counterparts can.
