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Israel prepares 5,000 work permits for Palestinians
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said on Thursday he would submit a request to the government next week to issue 5,000 new permits for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank to work in Israel.
The permits were part of a package pledged during a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Israel says the package was meant to ease restrictions on Palestinians in the West Bank. Palestinians say the changes will have little impact on daily life.
Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert attended a peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in November. U.S. President George W. Bush would like a deal before he leaves office in January.
But there has been little outward sign of progress so far.
Barak's office said the number of Palestinian construction workers with permits would increase from 14,000 to 19,000.
As part of the package pledged during Rice's visit, Israel said it removed 50 roadblocks in the West Bank, a figure that could not be independently verified because the army would not release a map showing the location of the barriers. Hundreds more roadblocks remain.
(Writing by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Mary Gabriel)
