The head of Israel‘s national workers union announced a strike to protest the Netanyahu government’s inability to secure a hostage deal.
Histadrut Labor Federation chief Arnon Bar-David announced on Sunday that the strike would only last a single day, on Monday, and that any further strike would be decided later. The Histadrut is one of the most powerful organizations in the country, boasting over 800,000 members in a country of 9.6 million. The strike risks crippling the country.
“Jews are being murdered in the tunnels of Gaza. It is impossible to grasp and has to stop,” Bar-David said at a press conference after a meeting with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the Times of Israel reported.
“We are getting body bags instead of a deal. I have come to the conclusion that only our intervention might move those who need to be moved,” he added.
The announcement came after a meeting with security officials, when Bar-David came to the conclusion that a hostage deal isn’t coming “because of political considerations,” and argued that due to political polarization, “we are no longer one people; we are camp against camp” and “we need to bring back the State of Israel.
“I call on the people of Israel to go out to the streets tonight and tomorrow and for everyone to take part in the strike,” he said.
Tens of thousands heeded Bar-David’s call, flooding the streets of Tel Aviv and elsewhere across Israel, according to videos posted to X.
The announcement and protests came as a result of the Israel Defense Forces’s discovery of the bodies of six hostages, who were executed in tunnels underneath Gaza shortly before the IDF found them. Among them was Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose parents pleaded for his release in a speech at the Democratic National Convention 10 days prior.
The Association of University Heads announced that Israeli universities will “join the economic shutdown.” Some exams will continue as scheduled.
“The university heads repeat their call to the government of Israel to make freeing the hostages the top national mission,” it said.
Others pushed back on the calls to strike, however. Over a dozen municipalities and local councils said that they would not take part in a general strike, the Times of Israel reported. Among these are Jerusalem, Ashdod, Bnei Brak, Netanya, Ramle, Dimona, Holon, Petah Tikva, Kiryat Gat, Arad, Beit Shemesh, Katzrin, the Merom HaGalil Regional Council, and the settlements of Efrat and Ma’ale Adumim.
Samaria Regional Council chief Yossi Dagan argued that in court rulings, “it was specifically established that a workers’ committee does not have the right to shut down the economy due to a political debate in protest of political and security issues. With all due respect, no one is above the law.”
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The West Bank’s Mateh Binyamin Regional Council head, Israel Gantz, said his employees would “not take part in an illegal strike that weakens the country.”
The Netanyahu government has faced increased domestic and international pressure in recent months to reach a hostage deal with Hamas.
