in the West Bank, not only violates Palestinians’ economic rights, but also forces them to seek employment with their occupiers. However, while tens of thousands of Palestinian workers feel forced to seek employment in Israel or in colonies, obtaining a work permit is by no means a ticket to a better life. It is extremely difficult to obtain such a permit, and as the permit is tied to a specific employer and because no labor organization helps Palestinian workers in Israel or in colonies, the Palestinian workers are deprived of legal protection against rights violations, including access to effective remedy. Israel is, of course, fully aware of the harsh impact of such restrictions imposed on Palestinian society, and also of the fact that the occupation and the permit regime severely undermine economic development in Palestine. This is highlighted by a report from the UN Conference on Trade and Development, which found that the strategies needed to develop and improve the Palestinian economy, cannot be implemented in the “present situation, characterized by severe Israeli control over Palestinian territorial, regulatory and trade policy affairs.”313 However, for as long as Israel continues to maintain the permit regime and its wider domination of the Palestinian economy, it perpetuates an environment whereby the Palestinian economy – an essential component of any viable, sustainable state - cannot be developed to meet the needs of the resident population, leaving many Palestinianworkers with the prospect of no income, or to seek work in Israel or in illegal Israeli colonies. Israel, too, grievously undermines Palestinians’ cultural rights, including the right to education and the right to religious freedom. By imposing restrictions on the former, Israel forces Palestinian parents to leave their homes and communities in order to ensure that their children can receive a proper education. In relation to the latter, Israeli practices which contravene the right to religious freedom also sends a clear signal to Palestinian worshippers that, for as long as they remain in the oPt, their rights to practice their religion will remain restricted. It is important to note that forced population transfer is not restricted to physical force: [...] but may include threat of force or coercion, such as that caused by fear of violence, duress, detention, psychological oppression or abuse of power against such person or persons or another person, or by taking advantage of a coercive environment.314 313 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), “The Palestinian Economy: Macroeconomic and Trade Policymaking under Occupation”, UNCTAD, 2012, page v. Available at: http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/gdsapp2011d1_en.pdf 314 International Criminal Court, “Elements of Crimes”, 2011, page 6. Available at: https://www.icc-cpi.int/ nr/rdonlyres/336923d8-a6ad-40ec-ad7b-45bf9de73d56/0/elementsofcrimeseng.pdf 82