Palestinian Guard Fired After 16 Years, Evicted From Home, Awarded $35,000

A Palestinian man who worked as a security guard for 16 years at the Gush Etzion industrial park has been awarded 132,000 shekels (approximately $35,000) in compensation by the Jerusalem Regional Labor Court. The man, Wa'atuf Baradeya, not only guarded the park but also lived there with his family in an apartment provided by the Gush Etzion Development Company. In February 2023, Baradeya was fired without notice or a hearing and ordered to vacate his home.

Baradeya sued the company, which claimed he was never directly employed by them but rather by subcontractors. The company also alleged his presence in the park began as a "protection" arrangement after a 2009 break-in. The court, however, rejected most of the company's claims, finding no proof of the protection racket claim.

Presiding Judge Moshe Willinger ruled that direct employer-employee relations existed between Baradeya and the company. He stated that the company's representatives hired Baradeya, set his monthly cash salary of 3,500 shekels, gave him instructions, and ultimately fired him. The court strongly criticized the company, concluding that the use of subcontractors was a tactic to evade labor laws and violate the rights of a vulnerable worker.

The court described the company's actions as "blatant willful blindness" to Baradeya's rights, which undermined the purpose of labor law designed to protect vulnerable employees. The ruling also highlighted that Baradeya was dismissed abruptly after 16 years of service, forcing him and his family to leave their home within the park premises.