Jenin / Ali Samoudi – Secretary General of the Palestine Workers Union, Haidar Ibrahim announced on Saturday that arrests and attacks are up inside the Green Line. Since the beginning of Ramadan, Israeli police and border guards have arrested 200 Palestinians laborers working within Israeli boundaries. Ibrahim said that while the Israeli government claims to take action to facilitate life and movement for Palestinian workers, the actual procedures are nothing less than racist and allegations to the contrary are only intended for media consumption to mislead the public.
Palestinians are routinely denied access to their places of work, are not granted permits, and are subject to a policy of persecution, lists the Palestine Workers Union.
Ibrahim said on Saturday, “The Israeli occupation government launches campaigns to deprive workers from successful employment and earning a living for their families. During the holy month an extensive campaign has been carried out afflicting hundreds of workers. A number of them have hefty fines levied against them by military courts while others are imprisoned for various periods of time.”
He stressed, “The occupation is creative in devising ways in which to wage war on the Palestinian people. The siege is tightened and is starving the people. In a recent case 20 workers were battered by the Israeli forces at their workplaces inside the Green Line, despite having work permits.”
Ibrahim added, “In several cases Israeli forces raided facilities and tore apart work permits, arrested Palestinians and put them in the court system. The Palestinian workers were not breaking any Israeli law. They had permits. This confirms the persistence with which the Israeli forces will attack Palestinians, restrict and oppress them, and deprive them of providing a decent life for their families.”
