In the past few months HaMoked was contacted by Palestinians with stay permits, issued as part of the procedure for family unification, who wish to work in Israel. These are West Bank Palestinians, married to permanent residents of Israel, whose requests for family unification were approved by the Interior Minister, and who are present in Israel by virtue of stay permits. They report they were refused work by various employers who saw that the stay permits do not qualify as work permits in Israel.
The printed statement on the back of stay permits "
this permit does not constitute a permit to work in Israel", does not clarify if its holder is allowed to work.
HaMoked’s attempts to get a definite reply in the matter, yielded unclear and contradictory replies from the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, as well as the military permit center. In any event, the fact that the permit lacks a positive statement allowing its holder to work, causes apprehension, deterring many potential employers.
The Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order), 5763-2003, prevents status upgrades for Palestinians who hold a stay permit. Thus, the emerging reality is that many Palestinians who lawfully live in Jerusalem
with their families, maintain a center of life therein and have their children in the city, are living without social security rights or a chance of legal employment, whilst their status upgrade seems as distant as ever, in view of the law.
HaMoked argues that eliminating a person's chances of being gainfully employed, infringes on his right to a minimal dignified existence. Additionally, a person’s inability to provide for his family prevents him from fulfilling his parental duties, recognized both in Israeli and international law. HaMoked therefore requests the Interior Ministry to stipulate that stay permits, issued by the DCO as part of the procedure for family unification, expressly constitute work permits.
