Many Have no Alternative to Working in Israel or in Colonies Israeli restrictions on the Palestinian economy limit employment possibilities in the oPt drastically and aggravate the economic imbalance between Israel and the oPt. Thus, the average daily wage earned by Palestinian workers in Israel in 2014 was approximately 2.25 times higher than the average private sector wage in the West Bank,160 which means that many Palestinians feel forced to work in Israel or in colonies in order to make a living and support their families, despite of the high risk of exploitation.161 Here, it is important to keep in mind that even in cases where Palestinians leave their homes and residential areas “voluntarily” for economic reasons, one must consider the wider context and whether or not the decision has been made in a coercive and/or discriminatory environment.162 The creation of a coercive environment constitutes a crucial element of forced population transfer. Difficulties on Obtaining a Permit163 “I am 41 years old from Hebron. I have five children and I am unemployed now because I am denied a permit to work in Jerusalem for security reasons. Nowadays, I only find work as a day laborer, 10 days every month at most. But the money I get is not enough to cover the expenses of my family. There is simply not enough work in the West Bank and in addition to that the wages are absurd, and can never cover the expenses of me and my family. In fact, I would get much more money if the Israelis would issue me a working permit. I would be able to secure a good life for my family. I don’t know why I am denied. I was never told. I only want to work in order to support my family. This should be a basic right. I am not asking for too much.” It is even more difficult for Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to obtain work permits. In 2014 Israel declared that it would once again allow Palestinians from Gaza to apply for permits to work in Israel. The quota was set to 5,000 permits, which is far less than the 25,000 work permits issued to workers from Gaza before 2006, and not including the 50,000 who used to work in Israel without permits, and were therefore working illegally according to Israeli law.164 As of May 2015, only some 1,000 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip had been able to obtain a work permit to trade in Israel, as the permits are difficult and expensive to obtain.165 160 The International Labour Organization, “The Situation of Workers of the Occupied Palestinian Territories”, International Labour Office, 2015, page 14. Available at: www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/ public/@ed_norm/@relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_368279.pdf 161 Ibid. Pages 13-14 162 See BADIL Resource Center for Residency and Refugee Rights, “Forced Population Transfer: The Case of Palestine - Introduction” for an analysis of the concept of forcible population transfer under international law. 163 BADIL’s interview with Taim Odeh, “Difficulties on Obtaining a Permit”, Hebron, October 2015. 164 Hana Salah, “Israel eases restrictions on Gaza”, Al-Monitor, 17 October 2014. Available at: www.almonitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/10/gaza-israel-ease-restrictions-blockade.html# 165 Hana Salah, “Gazans pursue jobs in Israel despite danger”, Al-Monitor, 1 May 2015. Available at: www. al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/04/gaza-workers-inside-israel-trade-permit.html# 46