About a year ago, when coronavirus was still a matter of life and death, I took part in an interesting conversation that I never thought I would wind up writing about.
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Two friends, who both work in high-tech, were talking about the serious shortage of high-tech workers in Israel and various ways of recruiting more workers. One said that Israel should step up cooperation with India, but the other suggested – even insisted – that the sector should integrate two populations, Arab Israelis and young Palestinians, calling it "in the country's interest."
Less than a year has passed since that conversation, and the government, even though its dominant components come from a right-wing/hawkish ideology, has approved a plan to hire a few hundred young Palestinians for jobs in Israeli high-tech, which is an inspiration not only Palestinians but also young people throughout the Arab world.
It could be said that after security coordination between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, this new plan is the most important one of all, for a few reasons. Thus far, Palestinians have worked mainly as laborers, on infrastructure projects or temporary jobs, while Palestinian academia took in mostly Arab Israelis.
The young generation of Palestinians is completely different from its predecessors. They see themselves as part of globalization and part of the trend toward a world economy. They aspire not only to leave the borders of the Palestinian territories, but also break out of the limitations to their employment.
For now, there is still not an independent Palestinian economy, and it's doubtful that there will be one in the two decades to come, given the current geopolitical reality. Bringing young Palestinians into Israeli high-tech can be a catalyst for the economy and coexistence, not to mention basic dialogue between the two peoples.
There is no doubt that this plan can also help improve Israel's image and that of Israeli high-tech companies, which are the country's dominant engine for growth. Bringing Palestinian workers on board can certainly contribute to a number of aspects of Israeli life – social, political, and even security.
Palestinian high-tech workers will turn into entrepreneurs in Israel and serve as inspiration both to Israelis and Palestinians, and the government did well in approving the plan to employ them.
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