260,000 Israeli settlers have applied for unemployment benefits

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
8 Jan 2024 13:50
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An Israeli report reveals the sheer impact of the Israeli war on Gaza on the Israeli economy, which has been engulfed in deep crises.

A billboard in "Tel Aviv shows (R to L) Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Security Minister Benny Gantz, with a sign reading in Hebrew "Stop" and the number of Israeli unemployed "855,380", in occupied Palestine, on July 20, 2020. (AFP)

About 260,000 Israelis applied for unemployment benefits since the beginning of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, Israeli news website Davar reported.

The Israeli outlet revealed that 142,500 of these applicants are currently on unpaid leave, as the private Israeli sector continues to cut off staffers due to the economic crisis, resulting from the Israeli government's aggression on the Gaza Strip.

In detail, claims were split almost equally between women and men, 55% and 45% respectively. The majority of those making claims are relatively young, as 61% of the applicants were aged between 20-40 years old, which speaks to the severity of the crisis, while 38% were aged 40-67 years old.

In the first week of the new year, 7,245 settlers applied for unemployment benefits, 3,889 of whom have been put on unpaid leave. Davar says that the news comes despite the fact that the Israeli Ministry of Finance announced that it does not intend to extend relief aid to unemployed settlers.

Empty tables, deserted shores, silent streets

Israeli authorities have mobilized to deal with mounting social and economic crises, including mass evacuations estimated in the hundreds of thousands, an economic downturn, and political turmoil.

One of the Israeli sectors hit hard since October 7 is the tourism sector, which has been strongly affected by the Palestinian Resistance's confrontation with the Israeli occupation. Analyzing the shopping cycle, transaction numbers, and weekly average purchase amounts, the latest figures for the last quarter of 2023 paint a grim picture for one of the Israeli occupation's vital sectors, according to the Israeli Phoenix Gamma index.

The tourism sector witnessed a staggering 73% decrease in turnover compared to the end of 2022. Transactions plummeted by 64%, accompanied by a 26% drop in the average transaction amount. Although no data on employment in this sector exists to date, the downturn must have also contributed to the growing unemployed section of Israeli society.

Restaurants, cafes, and fast-food establishments also faced a 16% dip in turnover, with transactions dropping by 1.5% year-on-year. The initial two weeks of the war on Gaza saw near-zero activity, which may be linked to large barrages of rockets launched from the Gaza Strip toward occupation cities on a daily basis. Due to such circumstances, Israeli settlers opted to remain indoors, resulting in a nearly 40% decrease in turnovers and transactions for restaurants.