Bill sponsor: MK Orit Struk (Jewish Home)
Bill sponsor: MK Orit Struk (Jewish Home)Israel news photo: Flash 90

The Ministerial Law Committee on Sunday authorized for legislation a law that would extend Israeli legal jurisdiction to Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria. Among the laws that would apply in Judea and Samaria if the measure is passed are those requiring workers to receive sick pay, minimum wage laws, and other workplace-related measures.

According to the measure, the labor laws would be implemented not by an act of the Knesset, but by a special order of the military authorities who are the official administrators of Judea and Samaria. The laws would apply both to Jews and Palestinian Authority Arabs employed at Israeli-owned businesses.

The law was approved by cabinet members, with six voting in favor and four opposed. Earlier Sunday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu informed ministers that he would allow them to support the law, which was proposed by MKs Orit Struk (Jewish Home) and Yariv Levin (Likud).

It was supported by all Likud and Jewish Home ministers, except for Education and Sport Minister Limor Livnat (Likud), who abstained along with Minister of Public Security Yitzhak Aharonovich. Voting against were ministers Yael German, Yaakov Peri, Yair Lapid, and Tzippy Livni.

Commenting on the law's approval, MKs Struk and Levin said that it was “an important decision that will help prevent outright cases of discrimination against residents of Judea and Samaria. We hope that the government will unite and support the law when it comes up for a Knesset vote. We also expect ministers who, even if they do not support settlement, do support economic fairness, to stand behind this bill.”