Labor Union warns that compromise over judicial overhaul must be reached
The head of Israel’s General Federation of Labor, Histadrut, said on Sunday that the organization fully supports Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s compromise deal – the contents of which have not yet been revealed – and warned that if a compromise is not reached, the powerful Histadrut will not “stand idly by.”
Earlier on Sunday, Histadrut labor union head Arnon Bar-David met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, along with Dovi Amitai, head of the Israeli Presidency of Business Organizations, an umbrella group that represents businesses in sectors such as agriculture, hospitality, and construction.
Bar-David and Amitai later released a statement to express their “full support for the institution of the presidency and the emerging presidential outline” for dialogue over the coalition’s effort to overhaul the judiciary.
They also expressed “grave concern” for expected “damage to the economy amid the emerging reform” and called on “all members of the Knesset and all political parties on the right and the left to stop the madness gripping Israeli society and to show responsibility and leadership for the future of their country.”
The Histadrut is Israel’s national trade union and has around 800,000 members. So far, the union has not officially joined the anti-government protests that have drawn hundreds of thousands, but the threat that it would not “stand idly by” in the absence of a compromise could indicate the Histadrut may be considering strikes against the judicial overhaul.
Such national strikes historically have had a very noticeable impact on Israel’s society and economy.
On Saturday night, more than 300,000 Israelis gathered across the country to protest the government’s judicial overhaul. The protests have now been ongoing for 10 consecutive weeks.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
