The head of the Histadrut Labor Federation’s Jerusalem branch, Daniel Bonfil, declared last week that the union will launch a general strike throughout the city towards the middle of January; this following an announcement by the city’s far-right mayor, Nir Barkat, that more than two thousand municipal workers will be laid off if the city doesn’t receive hundreds of millions of shekels in funding it claims it is owed by the Finance Ministry.

Bonfil told reporters on Tuesday, January 2: “I have just received a message from Histadrut Chairman Avi Nissenkorn authorizing us to immediately declare a labor dispute; the city-wide general strike will begin in two weeks time.”

Jerusalem Mayor Barkat announced on Monday, January 1, that 2,150 city workers would be laid off if the municipality doesn’t receive the money it is owed by the Finance Ministry. The mayor also warned of deep cuts in funding for municipal public services.