Cabinet ministers approved Aug. 1 the increase of the number of work permits for West Bank Palestinians to work in Israel by 15,000. These permits will be handed to Palestinians working in the Israeli construction sector. After the Cabinet approval, Defense Minister Benny Gantz tweeted that the decision reached by the Cabinet was the result of an agreement between the Housing, Finance, Defense and Regional Cooperation ministries. He continued, “This is an important step that will strengthen the Palestinian and Israeli economies and our shared interests.”

The initiative to increase the number of work permits to a total of some 106,000, was first announced by Regional Cooperation Minister Issawi Frej, who had reportedly developed the plan together with Housing Minister Ze’ev Elkin. Following Frej’s announcement, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories announced July 28 it will issue some 16,000 permits for Palestinian West Bank laborers to work in the construction and hotel industries, 15,000 in construction and 1,000 in the tourism sector.

The decision about the work permits comes amid steps that could indicate a shift in Israel’s official policy vis-a-vis Palestinian leadership on the West Bank, compared with the allegedly hostile policy championed by the former government of Benjamin Netanyahu. Reports say that while Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is considered pro-settler, he is also worried about the effects of a possible collapse of the Palestinian economy, hence his willingness to move in that realm.

On July 28, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz and Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg met simultaneously with their Palestinian Authority (PA) counterparts, Health Minister Mai al-Kaila and Head of the Environment Quality Authority Jameel Mtoor. Few such high-level meetings have taken place in recent years, especially between seniors responsible for environmental protection.