The High Court of Justice has prohibited the Israel Electric Company from cutting off power due to lack of payment to Palestinian residents of Judea and Samaria as well as to Hamas-controlled Gaza until the end of the year. The court ruled as it did despite the utility company showing a debt of NIS 1.8 billion, which grows between NIS 50-100 billion monthly depending on consumption.
The decision was made earlier in the week by Justice Yitzchak Amit. The matter is set to come before the High Court again on November 25, 2019, this time before a three-justice panel.
The court’s decision came after the Electricity Company failed to show the reasonable process of cutting off clients, how long the warning period is prior to cut off.
Israel Electric about three years ago has already asked to cut off electricity to Palestinian residents of Yehuda and Shomron or Gaza for a number of hours daily, hoping it would create an incentive for payment. The East Jerusalem Electric Company and the official electricity regulator for Yehuda and Shomron and East Jerusalem challenged the utility company in court.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
Yet they have no problem cutting off our electricity.
I believe the underlying issue is that Israel agreed to provide electricity to the Palestinians in return for the Palestinians not developing their own power company with its own generators. There was a quid pro quo involved. The Palestinian quid pro quo doesn’t apply to “rebels” in the West Bank, since no objects to the government persecuting Jewish rebels.