BEIJING: Israel plans to bring in 20,000 Chinese construction workers to help build new apartments as part of efforts to lower housing costs, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said here the other day.
Netanyahu announced the plan at the start of a cabinet meeting, his office said. The finance ministry later said the cabinet had approved it.
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Israeli attorney general Yehuda Weinstein has opposed the move because the two countries lack a formal agreement related to such cooperation.
The lack of an agreement can lead to immigrant workers paying middlemen hundreds or even thousands of dollars to obtain permits.
Chinese workers are currently brought into Israel under private contracts between Israeli and Chinese companies. The two countries have been engaged in negotiating working conditions, but have not yet reached an accord.
A statement from the ministry said that because of the urgency of the matter, the workers would be brought without a bilateral agreement, while creating mechanisms to ensure their rights were protected and prevent them from paying middlemen for permits.
Netanyahu said that it was important to move forward despite “side costs,” with the cost of living a major issue in Israel.
“In my view, this is a necessary and important step to lower housing prices,” Netanyahu said.
