The Israeli government may impose a fine of nearly half a million shekels on business owners who hire illegal Arab workers from the Palestinian Authority.
The new penalty of NIS 452,000 ($116,000) was advanced by Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan.
“Whoever employs Palestinians illegally living in Israel is endangering the lives of Israeli citizens,” Erdan said on Sunday.
“In this current wave of terror, it has been proven once again just how dangerous their presence is, in the centers of our cities, and at building sites.
“We must impose harsh penalties on those who employ and house the people,” Erdan said.
A significant number of the murderous terror attacks that have been carried out since October have been committed by illegal Arab workers from the Palestinian Authority.
Some of the attacks have also been carried out by Arabs from the PA who are employed legally in Israel, with entry papers and worker permits.
Very few attacks have been carried out in the Negev; however, a Bedouin Arab attacked the central bus station in Be’er Sheva on October 18, killing an IDF soldier and a second person indirectly; 11 others were wounded. The attacker’s father is a resident of the nearby town of Hura. His mother was a Palestinian Authority Arab from Gaza; due to their marriage she was allowed to enter pre-1967 Israel under the family unification law.