Fatah official: Israel wants to cause a “social problem” that will lead to Palestinian laborers being held responsible for Coronavirus’s spread

Text posted on the official Fatah Facebook page, written by Secretary of Fatah’s Branch in Poland Khalil Nazzal

Posted text:
“Stay at home! …
Stay at home! Imagine the extent of the efforts that all of our national institutions and their dedicated bodies are making in order to monitor a problem that is unprecedented in any other state and to solve it: The return of our laborers from beyond the Green Line (i.e., Palestinian term for Israel; the Green Line is the ceasefire line between Israel and the neighboring Arab countries, 1949-1967). You know, of course, that ‘Israel’ wants to turn the return of our laborers to their homes into an internal Palestinian problem; not just a health problem, but – and this is the most dangerous thing – a social problem that will lead to the laborers themselves being held responsible for the contagion of the Coronavirus, if God forbid it is confirmed that they are sick. We must remember that the sick laborers were exposed to the virus while searching for food for their children, not after being on a vacation in Jaffa and Haifa. This of course does not exempt our laborers from doing their part in the heavy burden we must bear until getting rid of the epidemic’s danger. What they must do is what every citizen must do: to be in complete isolation and let the dedicated bodies know if any symptoms appear for them such as fever, coughing, and difficulty breathing. Our laborers are our brothers who are returning from the daily journey of suffering.They are a central part of our national and social fabric, and they are one of the significant sources of support for our national economy. Our laborers are partners in bearing the national burden…
[Secretary of Fatah’s Branch in Poland] Dr. Khalil Nazzal
Warsaw, Poland
April 3, 2020”

Green Line - 1949-1967 ceasefire line between Israel and the neighboring Arab countries (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria) following Israel's War of Independence (1948-1949). Land within the Green Line is all part of the State of Israel since 1949. Land outside the Green Line includes East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights.