Defense Ministry plane with NIS 1b in cash said stranded abroad in worker feud
Plane said to be carrying Israeli banknotes printed by undisclosed European state; ministry employees said to threaten more sanctions in Finance Ministry feud over workers’ rights
Illustrative: planes on an airport tarmac (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Defense ministry employees have stranded a plane carrying NIS 1 billion ($292 million) in cash notes in Europe due to a feud with the Finance Ministry, Channel 12 reported Wednesday night.
The network reported that the plane was carrying Israeli banknotes printed for the country by an undisclosed European state. But after being loaded with the huge cash sum, the airliner was ordered delayed by the defense ministry.
Channel 12 said the cause was sanctions by the union of defense ministry workers, which claims the Finance Ministry is seeking to harm employees’ rights.
It was not immediately clear which rights exactly were at stake, or why the defense ministry was able to stop the plane from departing for Israel.
Illustrative: NIS 100 bills (Nati Shohat/Flash90)
Channel 12 noted that beyond the financial implications of the delay in the bills’ arrival, there were also security implications for the plane and its precious cargo being stranded in Europe.
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The defense ministry’s union said the move was only a first sanction and that further, more extreme steps could yet be taken, it said.
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