A Palestinian contradiction: working in Israeli settlements
Many Palestinians resent having to work in Israeli settlements, but have no choice as the Palestinian economy offers few alternatives.
BETHLEHEM, West Bank — At 7 a.m., half a dozen cars carrying Palestinian laborers wait outside the yellow metal gate of the Har Gilo settlement, located on a hilltop in the occupied West Bank.
After queuing for 30 minutes while a long line of cars hurriedly leaves for work and school, dozens of workers in faded clothes slowly get out of their cars, line up and hand their work permits to security guards before making their way to a construction site. Home to some 500 Jewish settlers, almost all the stone houses in Har Gilo have been built by Palestinian laborers.
