Israel’s Finance Ministry is working on a plan to replace Palestinian workers with foreign workers on construction projects in the country, the ministry said on Sunday.
The Israeli government has been working to promote and strengthen the housing construction industry since the outbreak of the war on October 7, the ministry said. The shortage of workers in the construction sector has been noticed.
The ministry said it had recently been approved for a grant to pay a one-time payment of up to NIS 21,000 to Israeli construction workers.
Actions taken by Smotrich
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Interior Minister Moshe Arbel to update the rules governing the payment of foreign workers in the construction industry, including the possibility of deferring part of a foreign worker’s payment until he or she arrives in Israel.
All this is part of efforts to facilitate the process of bringing foreign workers into the country and to assist their employers in responding to requests from companies and contractors.
Smotrich said: “We have reduced regulation and brought in over 20,000 foreign workers since the beginning of the Gaza war.”
“In the first months of the war, I announced a massive incentive program for those who want to enter the construction industry. The current activity of the construction industry is of national interest and we will continue to support it while maintaining Israel’s economy and security.”
