ABSTRACT
Palestinians must apply for a work permit, gained only after they obtain security clearance from the Israeli occupation forces, and present proof of potential employment by an Israeli. The core of the problem, however, is that this contested space is intricately tied to the idea of self-determination, cultural integrity, and personal dignity for 6.8 million Palestinians. The intifada won international sympathy and support, but the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leadership, without credible international reach, failed to transform that sympathy into international solidarity for the Palestinian people and their cause. Part of the explanation for the high rates of undocumented labor is that Palestinian employment opportunities are strictly regulated by several mechanisms tied to Israeli economic and political considerations. One main feature that set the intifada apart from previous resistance efforts was international material and ideological support. Israel overruled them with Military Order 144, which effectively barred international human rights observers from the territories.
