Israeli law determines that Election Day is a sabbatical day in Israel, and as a result, a majority of employees are able to take the day off from work at their employer's expense. Those who choose to work on Election Day are paid double, as is customary on Shabbat and holidays.
It seems that now, as a result of Israel holding two elections within a number of months, Palestinian employed in Israel are set to reap tens of millions of shekels in direct and indirect income as a result of the sabbatical in the Israeli market.
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According to the UN's International Labor Organization, some 127,000 Palestinians are employed in the Israeli labor market. Although a majority of these workers are ineligible to vote in the September election, they will nevertheless enjoy the sabbatical day afforded to employees by Israeli law.
The average Palestinian worker in the Israeli labor market earns 291.55 shekels ($81.52) a day. In total, Palestinian workers earn NIS 37 million ($10 million) every day. Assuming the election will be a sabbatical day, in addition to the previous sabbatical afforded to employees when the election was last held in April, Israeli business will pay Palestinian workers over NIS 70 million ($19.5 million).
"Business was also good on the last Election Day in Israel," a Palestinian merchant in a shopping mall in Ramallah told Israel Hayom. "Many Palestinians who work in Israel and had a vacation day came with their family and kids, and the stores were full.
"As far as we are concerned, Israel can hold elections every month," he said.
