$50 Million Palestinian Fund Will Aid Those Who Stop Working for Israelis

The Palestinian government is addressing the issue of how to support its citizens who quit jobs with Israeli companies or communities located in post-1967 territories with the establishment of a $50 million aid fund. Under the direction of Prime Minister Salam Faya’d, Palestinians have been urged to boycott all goods and services emanating from companies or communities located on land Israel acquired in the 1967 war – land that the Palestinians claim for a Palestinian state – and have made employment with such entities illegal. The policy created a quandary of nationalism versus livelihood for some 20,000 thousand Palestinians employed by Israeli entities in those areas. The fund will be used to provide the workers with loans and aid. If the boycott is successful, one estimate is that it will cost the Israeli economy about $200 million.