Coronavirus, As 70,000 Palestinian Workers Lost Job

West Bank, MINA – Israel’s closure of the occupied West Bank in response to the spread of coronavirus is triatened for the country’s construction business, Globes reported.

According to the President of Israeli Builders Association Raul Srugo, “This closure will mean that 70,000 Palestinian workers will not be able to work in Israel, and will close two-thirds of all projects in Israel.”

“This will have a broad effect, even more than what is happening in the civil aviation and tourism industries. The loss to the construction sector will be very large, “he stated as quoted from Suara Palestina News Agency (SPNA) on Saturday, March 14.

“What I am trying to do now is to prevent the closure of territories,” Srugo stressed.

The comments show the dependence of Israeli construction business on Palestinian labor, and the consequences of extended closure of Bethlehem. Srugo noted that “8,000 Palestinian workers” came from the city.

Srugo also told Globes that 500 workers from China who went on vacation in January “did not return, and we began to feel the effects.”

According to the report, the head of the Israeli Builders’ Association met MK Nir Barkat last week “in an effort to convey a clear message – closing in Judea and Samaria (occupied West Bank) meant an immediate halt to most of the thousands of building sites throughout Israel.”

Yigal Govrin, chairman of Israel Construction and Infrastructure Engineers Association and co-owner of Waxman Govrin Geva Engineering said “The big question is how long this will continue. If the crisis continues, the problem will increase. ”

“You have to see at what stage each project is located. Projects at an early stage is less vulnerable at this time, but if you are at an advanced stage, the picture changes.”. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)