An estimated 30,000 Palestinian laborers work in Israel without permits, in predominantly labor intensives jobs. Pay is poor, social rights are virtually nonexistent, and conditions in the workplace are often hazardous. A group of Palestinian workers tell their story from a construction site in Petah Tikva. By Alon Aviram “This place is a luxury penthouse” said Faisal, 26, a builder from Hebron, as he looked out across the lit city-scape of Petah Tikva. Industrial waste was strewn across the floor, tools were propped up against walls and dust hung in the air on the tenth floor of the construction site. “ We've stayed…

The high rate of unemployment in the Palestinian territories and the gap in wages and quality of life between the Israeli and Palestinian economies have led to a constant supply of Palestinian workers seeking work with Israeli employers, since the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip began in 1967. The number of workers has changed over the years in correlation with restrictions Israel has placed on entry into its territories. This Kav Laoved report details the obstacles and forms of exploitation faced by Palestinians on their road to earning a living in Israel and while employed in the…

 The wall was built to stop suicide bombers from entering Israel, so they say. But the people who do enter Israel on a daily basis are the tens of thousands of Palestinians who work here. Some go through hours of waiting at checkpoints, others climb the wall and risk injury or arrest – but all have experienced a dramatic change for the worse in their lives. Project photography: Oren Ziv / Activestills We arrive at Eyal checkpoint at 4:30 a.m. The sky is pitch black yet minivans packed with laborers are already passing us in the opposite direction on their…