Palestinian workers in Israel’s high-tech industry
Israel’s high-tech industry is seeing a growing number of Palestinians from the West Bank making the commute to contribute to the sector.
Considered as a major player in the world’s tech industry – with record levels of foreign investments in 2021 – Israel is home to major high-tech firms like Microsoft and Intel.
It comes as no surprise that young, educated people find Israel a prime work destination, including Palestinians.
“I did not expect to work in Israel in high-tech. It was unimaginable,” Inas Awad, an employee of the Israeli high-tech firm Colabo, told i24NEWS.
“We grow up with the image that we, the Palestinians, can work in construction, agriculture, maybe in plants. But in high-tech, we have no chance.”
Israel has more than 6,500 active tech firms, with 15,000 positions to fill.
Whilst the unemployment in the West Bank’s high-tech sector is estimated at 30,000 people, the Israeli high-tech industry could offer some relief.
“There’s a gap, no doubt. The technology here (Israel) is more advanced,” Awad said.
“I came here only because there are no available positions [in the West Bank].”
Last month, Israel’s government approved 500 high-tech positions for Palestinians to work in Israel.
“We are opening the high-tech market for the Palestinian worker. It’s good for Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and for the companies who are looking to outsource,” Israel’s Minister of Regional Cooperation Issawi Fej told i24NEWS.
Read More: i24 News