Palestinian workers from the West Bank who meet the criteria for working in Israel cannot apply for a work permit themselves. They can only apply for a permit to enter Israel for three days in order to find an Israeli employer who can and will apply for a work permit on their behalf.154 However, finding an Israeli employer can be very difficult and because of the severe time restrictions, workers often rely on brokers, who collect monthly fees from those workers they have “assisted”.155 Furthermore, by setting an arbitrary quota on the number of work permits issued to Palestinian workers, the Israeli authorities have created a system in which Palestinian workers become even more vulnerable, as it is not only a matter of finding an Israeli employer, but also of being able to get a permit before the quota has been filled.156 This pressure makes it even more difficult for Palestinian workers to negotiate a fair wage or working conditions. According to Israel, the quotas are set according to economic, security and foreign policy considerations, including Israel’s image.157 In reality, the connection to the security argument is highly questionable, with the quota increased by 5000 permits for the construction sector in 2014, as housing shortages in Israel led to an increased demand for Palestinian workers in this sector.158 The personal circumstances or security status of these 5,000 individuals did not change in any way; rather the quota was increased for reasons other than security. Furthermore, an Israeli NGO found out that because of the quota system, many Israeli employers employ Palestinians in the construction sector, but register them as working in agriculture. This means that the Palestinian workers receive lower wages than they should, as the minimum wage differs across work sectors.159 154 Kav La Oved, “Employment of Palestinians in Israel and the Settlements Restrictive Policies and Abuse of Rights”, August 2012, pages 12-13. Available at: palestinakomiteen.no/wp-content/ uploads/2013/05/employment-of-palestinians-in-Israel.pdf 155 The International Labour Organization, “The Situation of Workers of the Occupied Palestinian Territories”, International Labour Office, 2015, page 4. Available at: www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/ public/@ed_norm/@relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_368279.pdf; KavLaOved, “Employment of Palestinians in Israel and the Settlements Restrictive Policies and Abuse of Rights”, August 2012, page 13. Available at: palestinakomiteen.no/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ employment-of-palestinians-in-Israel.pdf 156 The International Labour Organization, “The Situation of Workers of the Occupied Palestinian Territories”, International Labour Office, 2015, pages 11-12. Available at: www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/ groups/public/@ed_norm/@relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_368279.pdf 157 Kav La Oved, “Employment of Palestinians in Israel and the Settlements Restrictive Policies and Abuse of Rights”, August 2012, pages 8-9. Available at: palestinakomiteen.no/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ employment-of-palestinians-in-Israel.pdf 158 The International Labour Organization, “The Situation of Workers of the Occupied Palestinian Territories”, International Labour Office, 2015, page 12. Available at: www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/ public/@ed_norm/@relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_368279.pdf 159 Kav La Oved, “Employment of Palestinians in Israel and the Settlements Restrictive Policies and Abuse of Rights”, August 2012, page 11. Available at: palestinakomiteen.no/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ employment-of-palestinians-in-Israel.pdf 45