For Palestinian laborers, end of freeze means back to work
Palestinian leaders see the settlement moratorium as vital for peace - but it robbed many of the West Bank's Arab residents of their livelihood.
By Chaim LevinsonFor months, the bulldozers of Walid Hassoun, a construction contractor from the Israeli Arab town of Tira, stood idle in the settlement of Yakir, watched by an armed guard from Ariel. Hassoun enjoys a solid and reliable reputation in the West Bank settlements, and his company is contracted to build homes in the settlements of Revava and Yakir.
Hassoun's company was also the first to be hurt by the settlement building moratorium: What was frozen was new homes, for which his machinery was laying the infrastructure. Yesterday, as the moratorium came to an end, Hassoun's eldest son was in Revava to get the work restarted. He preferred not to comment on the construction freeze.
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Palestinian man works at a construction site in a West Bank settlement on Monday, September 27, 2010. |
| Photo by: AP |
In Yakir, in the northern West Bank, workers were busy preparing the ground for new housing units. The atmosphere wasn't festive; an insurance agent was on site, discussing security matters with the work manager. The actual work was carried out by two men from Bitha, a village in the Nablus district that earned its place in history in the first intifada: It was in its fields that Col. (res. ) Yehuda Meir sent his soldiers to break the arms and legs of Palestinians.
Yesterday the workmen seemed pleased: Work has been sporadic in recent months, and now they were at the start of an intensive building period. They, too, were in no mood to talk politics. "It's a living," one of them muttered, before returning to hauling wooden beams.
Similar scenes repeated themselves at a number of locations across the West Bank. In Kedumim, work began on a new neighborhood with some 40 housing units. Ground was also being broken in the settlement of Oranit. The head of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, Avi Ro'eh, came to work in a festive white shirt to sign building permits in his jurisdiction. The scene was photographed and widely distributed.
Meanwhile, a building crane was confiscated and hauled away by Civil Administration officials at the outpost of Ramat Migron.
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Hi everyone, Just to clarify that Muslims have no hate for Jews. In fact Islam teachs us to respect other religions and gently call other to monotheisms (1 God). I undestand that others commit crimes in the name of Islam. That's a personnel decision and have no roots in the teaching of Mohammed peace be up him. We also need to understand that Palestine concerns all the Muslims in the world and not just Arabs so if some Palestinians decided to work against their will this is their own decision. Occupation of Palestine and the creation of an illegal state in the top of another state is the core of this conflict. Jews can live in Palestine and be Palestinians with the freedom to practice their religion freely. Salam
That Jews stop employing Arabs? Are Arabs allowed to employ Jews (which, by the way, includes purchasing their produce)? Of course not, that type of racism is allowed in your crazy mixed up world.
There is place for everyone, peace is already there, so why does anybody need the Palestinian country ?! The current situation is the best for arabs and jews alike.
Only to fight and make hasbara
During the Second World War Jews and other less desirable human was forced against their will to work in Germany factories. It seems that these forced labors have learned their lesson and now practice the same on people being subdued by armament so willing being provided by the world’s largest terrorist state. Anyhow forced labor camps during the war must now be seen in another light and in a more positive way.
Or do you come to work willingly?
If only............The Palestinian people would undertake a mega-massive building boom in Judea and Samaria , boosted by Western governmental aid and private investors so the building workers and contractors currently oblidged to find employment in building the Jewish settlements could find honorable work at home. Imagine what a powerful boycott this could become......
back to work!
Why not call it what it is? The Israelis need the work done and the Arabs need the work. Is not this the classic win win situation?
How would you feel if you had to support your family by working for the Nazis to build concentration camps in which your people wqould die?
So Jews are gassing Arabs in the settlements now are they? Have a word with yourself!
So Jews are gassing Arabs in the settlements now are they? Have a word with yourself!
Funny how warped people are who do not want Arabs to work or Jews to live.
Not Arabs having to exist by paradoxically helping Jews to usurp their lands
If the Arabs chose not to work for the Jews, ther would be no construction. It's really simple!! The Arabs are in control! They choose to collaborate and enable the construction--- then whine and cry about it !! Give ne a break!!!
but then it will be a boycott. It is not our will. In case you don't know, Arabs are not helping Jews, they work and get payed for what they do to support their family. And if they work with in Israel it's b/c they like it better than in any other place.
It reminds me of homeless people in some towns who have no money so they donate blood in exchange for a cup of orange juice and some cookies. The mathematics of the transaction is not good.
how can the world help to stop these buildings in settlements by Palestiniens workers? it is a scandal.
There are so many vile antisemites (for those of you who don't understand the word - Jew haters) posting here. All of you who spend your time and energy attacking Israel and the Jewish people should stop pretending that you give a damn about the so-called "palestinian" arabs. The reality is that they are far better off than the vast majority of arabs, and even of muslims, in the world, and that they are a made-up people created by the surrounding arab states and the UN who have used them as political pawns to attempt to destroy Israel for over 50 years. If you were reallly concerned about real downtrodden people, your energies would be with the victims of muslims, in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The only reason you pretend to care is because of your sick hatred of Jews.
it's usually drug addicts who sell their blood and the cookie and orange juice replenish the sugar levels.
So I am not antisemitic.But I fail to understand your logic
your bigoted sense of right wing extremism.Yes the palestinians have been pawns in the situation and there are lots of other(diversionary )situations around the world.How can that excuse OUR behaviour?