New industrial data for Judea and Samaria, 2019

New industrial data for Judea and Samaria, 2019

Many people from the Israeli side and the Palestinian side alike all call for a boycott of products made in the area. This new data sheds light for the first time on the connection between Palestinian economics and the Israeli industry.

In 2019, Judea and Samaria have 20 industrial districts, with nearly 1,000 businesses. They employ 28,300 workers, of which 18,000 are citizens under the Palestinian Authority.

Analysis of the data clearly shows a correlation between the Israeli industrial factories and the Palestinians' quality of life:

• There are more than 28,000 workers in Judea and Samaria. When you multiply it by the average of five people per family, it comes to more than 140,000 Israeli citizens and Palestinian Authority citizens making their living directly as result of the economical prosper in the region.
• The average salary of Palestinian workers: A Palestinian employee in Israeli companies earns more than double the wages of those who work in the Palestinian industry. Calculations for the average Palestinian salary included the wages of those who work in the Israeli factories. Should the average calculations compare only the wages of Palestinians working in the Palestinian industries against the wages of those who work in the Israeli industries, the gap would be even bigger.
• In total, the 18,000 Palestinian employees who work in the Israeli sector and earn more than the average employee in the Palestinian sector while providing more families, we reach over 100,000 other citizens of the Palestinian Authority whose living is depended on Israeli industry and agriculture.
• The proof of this can be found in the amount of new workers in the factories and the agricultural fields. Despite the boycott of 2011-2019, the amount of factories has grown from 680 to nearly 1,000 during those eight years, a growth of about 47%.
• Along with the growth in factories, the amount of employees has grown from 12,300 to 18,000 during those eight years, a growth of about 46%.
• So, there is a clear correlation between the amount of factories and the amount of Palestinians employed in the area. Actually, the more factories arise, the more jobs become available for Palestinian workers.
• The Palestinian employees are the majority in the area, making up 62% of the industrial and agricultural workers during 2019.

Assuming that the growth in factories and employees will continue, as time goes on, the area's economy will continue to strengthen with the increase of employment in factories throughout Judea and Samaria, will continue to benefit the area's residents, Israelis and Palestinians alike and create a better life framework for the entire population.

Strengthening the industrial and the agricultural fields of Judea and Samaria is a way to strategically enhance the economic stability of the area, which opens the door to a better future for all who live there.