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Racism pushing Palestinian citizens of Israel to Ramallah

(pic - Ryan Rodrick Beiler)

JERUSALEM (IRIN) - An increasing number of Palestinian citizens of Israel are moving to Ramallah in the West Bank in search of jobs, education or what they perceive as a more congenial environment.

“They are not running away, they are trying to create a future for themselves. And if that requires them to go elsewhere instead of staying in the state that discriminates against them, what can we do?” said Rania Laham-Grayeb, deputy director of Mossawa, the Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens in Israel.

“This development has to do with discrimination against Arabs in Israel,” Samer Salame, head of the employment unit in the Palestinian Authority’s ministry of labor, said. “They come to the West Bank to work in the IT [information technology] sector, academia, open businesses, or study. They often live here as well.”

However, fearful of losing their citizenship or residency in Israel, most do not register their change of work or living place — there are no official figures for the number of Palestinian citizens of Israel living in the West Bank, though Salame said there were at least 1,000 citizens of Israel running businesses or employed in Ramallah, not counting students and artists. more

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