Despite the ongoing terror wave, the Israeli government is poised to dramatically increase the number of Arab workers allowed to enter Israel daily from the Palestinian Authority, a senior security official told Walla News.
“There will be no opposition in the cabinet to increasing the quota for Palestinian workers”, he remarked.
The official supported an increase, dismissing concerns it could pose a security threat and downplaying recent terror attacks.
“This is not an intifada. Although there are some terror attacks, they’re on the decline, and so is incitement.”
Currently, 84,000 Arabs from the Palestinian Authority have permits to work in Israeli towns, including 26,000 in Judea and Samaria and 58,000 inside the Green Line. Another 30,000 are believed to work inside the Green Line illegally.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) called earlier this month for the government to allow another 100,000 Arab workers into Israeli towns, a move that would more than double the number of work permits given to PA Arabs.