Palestinians sue Gush Katif farmers in flurry of lawsuits

Israeljustice.com
01 July '10

JERUSALEM -- In the latest flurry of more than 200 lawsuits, Palestinian workers in Gaza are claiming compensation from 400 Israeli farmers expelled from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

Palestinians, aided by the Yesh Din Human Rights Organization, are continuing to file a flurry of lawsuits against Israeli farmers who were expelled from Gush Katif in August 2005. They are suing in Israeli labor courts for dismissal compensation and for compensation under the minimum wage law. "There are 400 farmers and at least 200 claims against them," Aharon Chazut, chairman of the Gush Katif Framers Committee, said. "Every day recently another one or two claimants are filing suit. Chazut said that many of the Palestinian claimants never worked for the Jewish farmers.

"The onus of proof falls on the farmers and not on the Palestinian claimants," Chazut said. "Some of the claimants never worked for us but you have to prove that they didn't work for you."

Chazut said that he was prepared to ignore the suits but the other farmers decided to hire an attorney to represent them in court. "They are law abiding citizens," Chazut said.

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