12 THE JEWISH LEADER, AUGUST 26, 2016 A step back in Palestinian workers’ rights A new regulation instituted by Justice Minister Shaked undermines Palestinians’ - rights to sue Israeli employers over abusive ily affect Palestinians living in the West Bank, most- jectthis this measure matter does to further not require legal scrutiny. a Knesset review, and unlawful labor practices. It also further notably those who work on Israeli-owned farms in butWe it isstrongly possible oppose that the this Supreme special new Court regulation. will sub entrenches two unequal sets of laws for the Jordan Valley, who will greatly suffer the con Israelis and Palestinians. sequences, by placing a heavy financial burden on - those who seek to sue their Israeli employers for- Forcing Palestinian employees of Israeli businesses Stuart Appelbaum, Haaretz tions,labor-law have violations. applauded Israeli this new farmers measure. in the valley, to jump through hoops to benefit from Israel’s gen srael’s justice minister has recent- who in the past have been sued for labor law viola- erally progressive labor laws is contrary to these- ly instituted a new regulation that ture as a democratic and progressive society, this workers’ basic rights. It will only embitter their will undermine the right of Pales- mattersAs an toorganization us, and should that matter cares aboutto others Israel’s as well. fu lives, providing yet another obstacle to rapproche ment between Palestinians and Israelis, and the possibility of serious negotiations toward a viable- Itinians living in the West Bank who- In 2007, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled in the damentaltwo-state humanitariansolution to the needs conflict. of these Palestinian are employed by Israelis, in Israel or the interest of 30,000 West Bank Palestinians who To do otherwise would be contrary to the fun West Bank, to seek legal redress for abu work for Israeli businesses in the West Bank. Most of Israel’s proud history of advancing the rights of sive and unlawful labor practices. Palestinians employed by Israelis in settlements workers, and contrary as well to the best traditions The Jewish Labor Committee opposes became entitled to the protection of Israeli labor - this new regulation, explicitly designed law. But this protection is threatened by the new working people, both Jewish and Palestinian Arab by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and- immediatelyregulation being to overturn promulgated this regulation, by Minister and Shaked. allow citizensTo do of otherwise Israel, through would its reinforce legacy of atrade social union and diMK party, Shuli to Moalem-Refaeli, prevent Palestinian both employ of the- Israel’s Knesset and/or Supreme Court must act ism and labor-oriented political parties. right-wing, pro-settler Habayit Hayehu protections as their Israeli counterparts. one set of laws for Israelis and another, inferior, set theseTwo workers years ago, continued an investigative access to reportthe same in legalThe- ofpolitical regulations regime for in Palestinians the West Bank living that in the enforces West ees of Israeli businesses from benefiting from Israel’s progressive labor laws. We To do otherwise would further undermine Is- call on the Knesset and Israel’s Supreme- Marker on Palestinian workers in the Jordan Valley rael’sBank. standing as a democracy and a progressive es,Court and to nullify act forthrightly the new regulation. to defend these revealed that they are denied such basic rights as- society, and erode support for Israel in general in workers’ just rights to fair labor practic a pay slip, minimum wage, vacation time and sick days. Also, since there are no written labor con Under the new requirement, non- tracts, farmers can fire employees at will. Workers theStuart international Appelbaum court is ofPresident public opinion. of the Jewish La- lawsuitcitizens against will be an obligatedemployer in to Israeli make la a- who realized that these conditions violate Israeli bor Committee, which enables the Jewish communi- monetary deposit before submitting a labor laws have hired lawyers and sued for their- ty and the trade union movement to work together Editorials • Opinions Letters present evidence proving their claim. If rights in Israeli labor courts. in pursuit of a shared commitment to economic and bor court, unless they can immediately “unjust”According development. to MK Moalem-Refaeli, the new regu social justice. - lation will help Jordan Valley farmers combat this they cannot do so, the deposit will be Fightingforfeited. Such a measure facismwould primar Justice with Minister Shaked, themeanwhile, claims help that of the JFEC By Nathan Wise communists in government positions, and in the The message from the Right during this cam- - viteand youconsort in. with whomever you will, but stay out of my yard, my church, or my bedroom, unless I in broader society of artists and intellectuals. A lot of- paign season grows increasingly xenophobic, with our ports-of-entry? Perhaps the words of a young groespeople made in my it family so easy were to opengoing up to bethe in gates trouble. of the a call from the Republican presidential nominee- Does this requirement of an invitation extend to The de-humanizing of Jews or Japanese or Ne tivefor “extremeémigrées vetting”“do not shareof new our immigrants, values.” and an outright ban on certain countries whose prospec Jewish poet named Emma Lazarus express the ghetto from 9 to 5 daily so armed citizens could invitation best, with words inscribed for all time shoot Jews at will, or for a lynch-mob to hang a So far, he has gotten away with this because at the base of a giant statue originally named by howBlack much youth torment with impunity, would lead or a to physician death ... allnamed this, Belgiumthere have and been here, so of many course, violent stretching attacks from against the “Giveits creator me your (en tired,français) your “Liberty poor ...” Enlightening the Mengele to perform inhumane experiments to see Western targets, in France, the UK, Spain, France, World” Once (though we start we administering call it the Statue a “test” of Liberty): (using because the victims were not human and, worse, financial district of New York, to governmental- - subversive to “our values” and therefore required centers in Washington, from a military base to a- his word) to ascertain one’s “values” to protect us symptomsextermination. of fascism. We must pay attention to onemarathon, doesn’t and“share a gay our nightclub.values.” Seems that any from potential attackers, we will require an instru No one today would question that these are- thing can be a target that might suggest that some- ment be created to accurately determine those - lence that we fear, rather than the values? values. We’re not talking about the happy fellow- messages coming to us in daily broadcasts of pre What does that mean, exactly? Isn’t it the vio- who designed the 29 significant areas by which we pared (and sometimes extemporaneous) state tion of our society, since our society has promised will find a perfect mate. We’re talking about seg ments, urging that we reject others from our club, everWouldn’t since its Maimonides founders set be down asking the the fundamental same ques regation or “separate but equal” (as with African- forms,whose many values, languages, whose and beliefs, many whose cultures, monopoly doesn’t principle that government shall not dictate an in- Americans)My dad used or worse, the terms exclusion “super-patriotism” and concentration and seemon virtue? to count The for Golden much Rule, anymore. which exists in many - camps (as with Japanese-Americans). dividual’s beliefs, or infringe upon rights of expres “jingoism” to warn me about the times of his life, This is why I celebrate the efforts of you, kind sion EXCEPT FOR the inciting of violence. which included Hitler and Mussolini abroad, and, Readers -- and the JFEC, when I read in the pages FIGHTING FACISM CONT. ON PG 13 I always like to think of it this way: your liberty here at home, the House Un-American Activities ends where my nose begins. Say whatever you will Committee and Senator Joe McCarthy’s hunt for