The head of the Histadrut labor federation urges again far-right Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to set a date for early elections, indicating that if the premier refuses, the organization could take steps aimed at forcing his hand.
Speaking at a conference hosted by Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday, May 8, Arnon Bar-David declares that Netanyahu and his government “cannot avoid responsibility for the failures of October 7.”
Hadash and Communist Party of Israel activists, among them MK Ofer Cassif, attend a protest calling for the release of hostages and against the war in Gaza near army headquarters in Tel Aviv, May 7, 2024 (Photo: Zo Haderech)
Last year, when protests against the same government’s divisive judicial overhaul plan reached a tipping point following Netanyahu’s firing of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the Histadrut declared a general strike, helping force the prime minister to walk back that decision and to pause the overhaul.
“The responsibility lies with the decision-makers, and I don’t see that they are trying to fix the situation,” Bar-David says today, likely referring to the far-right government’s ongoing failure to return the remaining hostages for over seven months, which has drawn fresh fiery protests. Declaring that he has no trust in the government, Bar-David says: “I am calling for agreed-upon elections that will stop the chaos in the State of Israel.”
However, he says the timing for this needs to be right, arguing that declaring a general strike now would not help: “The moment we arrive at a situation in which it is entirely up to the Israeli government and it won’t seek a hostage deal, then I think we will be able to apply more pressure and there will be more chaos, both by citizens and by workers.”
On last April 18 hundreds of protesters led by hostages’ family members gathered outside of Tel Aviv’s Kirya military headquarters and demanded an immediate hostage deal. Then, the demonstrators marched to the headquarters of the Histadrut and call for a general strike in hopes of pressuring the government into negotiating a deal with Hamas. They blocked main streets in Central Tel-Aviv.
Demonstrators at the march chanted, “[Histadrut Chairman Arnon] Bar David, wake up. Everything is crumbling around you!” “General strike now!” and “Hostages’ deal now!” Earlier, family members of hostages sent a letter to Histadrut labor federation chair asking him to call for a strike that would shut down Israel’s economy and apply “any pressure possible” to return the hostages. “
“We, families of the hostages signed below, turned to you, Arnon Bar-David, because the negotiations are stuck, and this may cost the hostages in Hamas captivity their lives,” reads the letter, signed by over 100 family members. “Unfortunately, the Israeli government has failed thus far to bring back all the hostages,” said the families. “Mr. Chairman, you fill a very important and strategic role in the state of Israel, and as such, we believe that it is in your responsibility and ability to advance the release of the hostages in Hamas captivity.”
For several months, anti-government protesters have held weekly demonstrations calling for elections as well as an immediate deal with Hamas to release the hostages held in Gaza. Calls for an election have grown amid deep dissatisfaction over the government actions, with repeated polls showing Netanyahu losing his majority in the Knesset if a vote were held today.
For months Bar-David promised that the Histadrut would join protests and demonstrations against the far-right government, sparking concern over a potential strike across Israel’s working class, but he did nothing.
Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=31774
