Nuclear Beef

Before the intifada, remittances from legal and illegal laborers in Israel (and a good deal of auto theft) fueled the local economy. But crossing into Israel illegally is now a thing of the past, a task too difficult and too dangerous. Back outside the Chamber of Commerce, marijuana and cigarette smoke mingled as several dozen men waited, some in vain, for permits. They hoped to gain permission to purchase or sell cheaply made clothes in Israel, or fruit, or anything that would put food on the table. In perfect Hebrew, the men there explained that stability had returned, but jobs remain elusive. It seemed like the town's new mantra.

via the Big Guy