Palestinian election candidate warns West Bank could ‘explode’ unless Israel releases tax funds
Palestinian election candidate Dr. Ahmad Shadid warned that withheld PA tax revenues and rising unemployment could trigger an “explosion in the West Bank” with regional consequences.
Dr. Ahmad Shadid, head of the Al-Finiq (The Phoenix) list, warned that releasing Palestinian tax revenues is crucial to prevent a potential "explosion" in the West Bank that could impact Jordan and the region. The West Bank faces high unemployment rates, with 27.9% of the population aged 15 and above unemployed and total labor underutilization at 29.9%.
Shadid proposed two strategies to address this issue: establishing agricultural and industrial projects, and resolving the repercussions of the Israeli occupation. He argued that the occupation prevents workers from accessing their jobs inside Israel, hinders the collection of tax revenues, and negatively impacts various sectors.
Israel recently revoked work permits for around 140,000 Palestinian workers following the October 7 attacks, leading to a significant loss of jobs and decreased economic activity. Shadid emphasized that the withheld funds belong to the Palestinian people and should be released in accordance with international laws and norms.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
