In next May Day, the international workers’ solidarity day, will be held several rallies across Israel: Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Nazareth, Kufr Yassif and others towns. Hadash (The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality – Communist Party of Israel) activists are engaged in all May Day events, alongside with several Left and union’s militants.

Towards the international workers’ solidarity day, the “May Day Coalition” in Tel-Aviv published a statement. According to the “May Day Coalition”, “In the summer of 2011 sectors from the working class, from the center of Israel and its periphery, united to struggle against the crimes of capitalism. In Jewish, Arab and mixed cities the “tent struggle” sprouted and grew. The number of strikes and workers striking for their rights and in defense of organized labor grew. The Arab Spring that overthrew dictatorial regimes with demands for social justice spread to all corner of the earth. Large forces united with the understanding that the shared interests of the 99% are rising above those of the tycoons, who even in Israel enjoy economic tyranny sponsored by governmental policy.”

May Day in Tel-Aviv, 2011 (Photo: Al Ittihad)

And more: “This year million of people around the world will march, in dozens of different languages but with one shared demand – to promote the interests of the working class against the interests of the tycoons and those who assist them. And there are any changes? The banks continue to increase their profits, the tycoons have their hair done, and at the same time salaries continue to erode and prices rise to an unbearable level. Despite the tent protest of the summer of 2011, rent has continued to go up. Aggressive management, backed by the government, tries to oppress brave workers committees. This is how it was at Haifa Chemicals, Israeli Railways, and the journalists’ struggle. In the face of all of this popular opposition is growing, and a movement of organizations, committees, cooperatives and determined struggles are growing. Something is changing at the very roots of Israeli society. On May Day we will march together – women and men, Jews and Arabs, university students and schoolchildren, salaried and shift workers, unionized and non-unionized, migrant workers and their children, members of cooperatives, refugees, unemployed and retired people – to celebrate the international solidarity day of the working class. We will protest together for our shared mission: a society without exploitation, for social justice, a real update of salaries to match prices, against racism and all kind of discrimination and for social, civil, national and gender equality, for organized labor, direct employment, for the opening of work places for Arab women and other marginalized groups, for class unity, against wars and for peace.”