'We're better without Palestinian workers': Construction heads say foreigners better for Israel

Zeev Salant, co-CEO of Omer Construction and Engineering, expressed his belief that Israel is better off without Palestinian workers in the construction industry. According to Salant, the workforce has improved in terms of quality, increased output, and construction time since the ban on Palestinian laborers. Previously, Palestinian workers began their workday at 4 a.m. and worked until 4 p.m., but now they start at 6:30 a.m. and work until 7 p.m. Work on Fridays is also included in the new schedule.

The improved safety and quality of work have led to higher project profitability for Omer Construction. The company's leadership, which includes Salant, Israel Rosenblatt, and Baruch Hadad, attributes their survival during the crisis to their strong reputation. Omer Construction mostly works on large-scale projects and prefers private-sector contracts over public tenders due to the lower profit margins and potential conflicts in public projects.