In a first for Jordan-Israel relations, a group of Jordanian citizens recently gained employment in Israel’s hospitality sector as part of a pilot project negotiated by the two countries.
The Washington Post reported on May 16 that the program, which launched “very quietly” six months ago, currently permits 700 Jordanians to cross the border to work in the Red Sea resort town of Eilat. The program ultimately will allow in 1,500 Jordanians.
On the program’s first day in November, 172 workers arrived in Eilat, according to the Tower, a D.C.-based news service. Interior Minister Silvan Shalom greeted the workers, saying, “This is a day of celebration for Israeli-Jordanian cooperation … that will strengthen ties between Israel and Jordan, improve service in Eilat hotels and prevent illegal migrants from working in Israel.”
Eilat’s 40 hotels employ 9,000 workers, a third of them in housekeeping.
The tightly regulated program requires Jordanian workers to return to Jordan by 8 p.m., bars them from traveling outside Eilat and restricts them to cleaning jobs.
According to the Post, the new employees are 99 percent male and, after being vetted by the Jordanian government and Israeli hotels, undergo a background check by the Shin Bet. — jta