Thousands of Palestinians workers were driven jobless by watertight Israeli closures of their towns

By Mohammed Yassin, IOL Correspondent

GAZA CITY, May 1 (IslamOnline.net) – While workers across the globe were jubilant celebrating their Labor Day on Saturday, May 1, Palestinian workers in the Gaza Strip were struggling to eke out a living.

Ever since the outbreak of Al-Aqsa Intifada against the Israeli occupation forces in 2000, thousands of Palestinians were driven jobless because of the watertight Israeli measures, the simplest being the closures of their towns.

But even with Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon’s proposed unilateral withdrawal from the Strip, the future of Palestinian workers remains in the womb of time.

"In case of an all-out Israeli withdrawal and a Palestinian control over the crossing points, particularly Rafah crossing, the impact of the repeated Israeli closure of its doors to Palestinian workers would minimal," Mohamed Dahman, Head of Gaza Democracy and Workers’ Rights Center, told IslamOnline.net.

"On the contrary, such a withdrawal would help remarkably clash down the unemployment rate because Arab markets would be held wide open for Palestinians," he elaborated.

According to Sharon’s disengagement plan, Israel would pull out of the Gaza Strip, including all Jewish settlement.

The occupation army will, however, retain a military presence along the border between Gaza and Egypt, maintains a complete control of the air space over Gaza and continue to conduct military activities off Gaza's Mediterranean coast.

The plan therefore, Palestinians argue, would even worsen the situation by depriving them from work opportunities inside and outside the Strip.

"A Palestinian control over crossing points would facilitate imports and exports and promote trade," Dahman said, recalling that the current watertight Israeli grip on the Gaza crossings has exactly the opposite effect.

He also played down the impact of Israel’s announced closure of its industrial zone in northern Gaza Strip, where 2,000 Palestinians earn their living.

Optimistic

Nabih Al-Ghazali, a 24-year-old worker, agreed.

"Even if they (Israelis) shut down the industrial zone, we'll find a work in Gaza," he said, admitting the payment would not be as higher.

Ghazali even expected the would-be Israeli withdrawal to improve the economic conditions in the Strip.

"Israel can not do without Palestinian workers. They simply work more than anybody else."

The young Palestinian worker expected Israeli factories to send row materials into Gaza to be manufactured "as it was the case during the first Intifada back in the 1980s."

His colleague Hani Al-Tanani, currently unemployed, sounded less optimistic.

The occupation authorities have given factories in the industrial zone three months to move inside Israel, he said.

He said while a skilled Palestinian worker would receive 70 shekels per day inside the industrial zone he would only get 40 in Gaza, if he finds a job in the first place.

Palestinian rights sources estimate that more than 340,000 workers – about 60% of the Palestinian workforce - have lost their jobs since September 200, with unemployment spiraling to 45%.

Their figures also show that 72% of Palestinian families are living under poverty line.