(Jerusalem) A strike movement in Israel called by the powerful Histadrut trade union to increase pressure on the government to obtain the release of hostages held in Gaza was unevenly followed Monday at midday.
The trade union had called for a “general strike” on Sunday, in the wake of massive demonstrations after the announcement of the deaths of six hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and killed “at point-blank range”, according to the Israeli Ministry of Health.
“We are stopping everything so that our voice is heard, to say that we do not want to do anything until they [the hostages] are here,” Michal Hadas-Nahor, 34, told AFP Monday during a demonstration in Tel Aviv.
“I really hope that this will make a difference, otherwise I don’t know how I can live in this country and raise my children here,” added the protester.
“We want this government to cease to exist, we want elections, and above all we want it to sign an agreement to free the hostages and end this war that is terrible for both sides,” Barak Hadurian, a 56-year-old engineer, told AFP.
Several major cities including Tel Aviv and Haifa followed the strike call, announcing the closure of municipal services on Monday. Disruptions were also recorded at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, where departures partially resumed at 10 a.m. (3 a.m. Eastern Time) after two hours of total interruption.
Protesters demand a ceasefire and the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, September 2, 2024 in Tel Aviv, Israel.
But the movement was unevenly followed on Monday, with several municipalities, including that of Jerusalem, not responding to the call.
And in the towns taking part in the strike, public transport, run by private companies, was at least partially operational. In government departments too, the walkout was unevenly followed.
“There is no reception for the public today, but we are working in the offices,” an Israeli social security employee told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The employee, who opposed the strike, called it a “scandal” at a time when the country is at war, more than 11 months after the Hamas attack in Israel that triggered it. “The Histadrut is behaving like a political body and not like a workers’ union,” he added.
Following a request from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (far right), the Israeli attorney general asked the labor court to rule against the strike, arguing that its motivation was political and did not concern a collective labor dispute.
According to the Israeli news site Ynet, Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David informed the court that the strike would only continue until 6 p.m. (11 a.m. Eastern time), 12 hours earlier than originally planned.
Meanwhile, demonstrations continued in several cities on Monday to demand an agreement on the release of the hostages.
According to an AFP journalist, several demonstrators were arrested in Tel Aviv while blocking traffic on a highway.
These rallies had gathered several tens of thousands of people the day before.
This article is originally published on lapresse.ca
