Protests have continued in Ramallah over the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) planned introduction of a Social Security Institution, and the impending hiking of taxes required to fund it.
After years of consultations, PA President Mahmoud Abbas signed a new law in late 2016, mandating the establishment of the Palestinian Social Security Institution. The institution would provide pensions and various insurance benefits to Palestinians working in the private sector.
In the past couple of months, the PA has attempted to implement the law by registering Palestinians in the private sector with the Palestinian Social Security Institution, yet it is facing near-weekly protests.
The demonstrators, taking inspiration from the ‘yellow vest’ protests in France, call themselves the ‘blue gloves’ and are fighting in solidarity against the corruption of the PA controlled government.
Despite being in favour of a social security system, many protesters believe that the widespread corruption in the PA would render the institution untrustworthy. The protests have taken place in Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus and across the West Bank.
