Israel to Boost Work Permits for West Bank Palestinians

Israel will increase by 16,000 the number of West Bank Palestinian workers it lets into the country. Some 1,000 of those workers will be employed in the hotel industry and the rest in the construction industry, the office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced Wednesday. COGAT’s decision comes after discussions between Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The head of COGAT, Maj. Gen. Rassan Alian said in a statement that further measures will be taken to strengthen economic ties between Israel and the PA. “This measure will strengthen the Israeli and Palestinian economies, and will largely contribute to the security stability in the area of Judea and Samaria. Economic stability is the key to preserve the security in the region,” Alian said.