PALESTINIANS ENTER DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

Bethlehem, 8 Jumadil Akhir 1436/ 28 March 2015 (MINA)- Palestine entered into Daylight Saving Time early Saturday morning, pushing clocks forward one hour as the summer months approach.

Although not widely in use across the Middle East, Palestinians observe the switch just as the majority of the Levant, Egypt, Turkey, and Iran do.

Jordan, for example shifted its hours on Friday morning and Lebanon is expected to do the same Sunday.

The shift in Palestine came one day after Israel entered summer time on Friday morning, causing confusion for many Palestinians as some digital clocks shifted ahead automatically, Ma’an News Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Because Palestinians live under Israeli occupation, international digital clocks often switch according to the Israeli calendar.

Daylight savings time is a common cause of confusion in the region, as in recent years areas under Palestinian Authority control, Hamas control, and Israeli control have made the time switch at different times.

As a result of the switch, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, for example, operate an hour ahead or behind of nearby Palestinian villages, while Palestinians who work inside Israel must make complicated calculations to keep up with the multiple changes. (T/P010/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)