Court bars Histadrut chief from heading the labor union for 90 days amid major corruption probe

Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David has been barred from heading the labor federation until March 2026, Hebrew outlets report.

The decision handed down by the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court comes as police probe Bar-David on corruption and bribery suspicions, as part of a far-reaching investigation into union officials.

Bar-David, who has been under house arrest since November 13, is suspected of taking payments from his insurance agent, Ezra Gabay, who allegedly has been operating a massive bribery network within the Histadrut and its subsidiaries.

Police believe Gabay exploited his close connections to Bar-David to fix jobs for his associates within the Histadrut, on the condition that the recipients secure insurance contracts with his agency.

Police have reportedly sought to distance Bar-David from the organization’s offices amid concern he may try to interfere in witness testimonies.

Bar-David plans to appeal the 90-day ban, his lawyer tells Ynet. In the meantime, he will be replaced by acting Histadrut chairman Roi Yaakov, the outlet reports.

Police also arrested Yaakov after going public with the probe in November, but he has since been released.

The investigation has been ongoing for over two years, but was revealed at the start of last month, as police carried out a series of raids that saw dozens arrested.

Investigators have narrowed down the number of suspects in the probe to 71 people and collected around 370 testimonies so far in the investigation, according to Ynet.