Striking unions join protest as thousands take to streets for hostage deal
Banks, malls, government offices shuttered, major intersections blocked ahead of main protests later Monday; court rules strike is political in nature and must end at 2:30 p.m.
Workers shut down public services, tech firms and other businesses, and activists snarled traffic at intersections across the country Monday as hundreds of thousands of people joined a one-day general strike aimed at pressuring the government to seal a hostage-ceasefire deal in Gaza after the military recovered the bodies of six hostages executed just days ago.
The strike was called Sunday by the Histadrut Labor Federation, an umbrella union representing most public sector workers, as part of a day of nationwide disruptions planned by activists amid growing anger at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government over the insistence on pressing Israeli demands in talks with the Hamas terror group.
The Israel Business Forum, which represents some 200 of the country’s largest companies, also said late Sunday that workers would be allowed to join the strike, shuttering banks and other businesses. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, however, was operating as usual on Monday.
With limited bus service forcing commuters to find alternate means of travel and many employees declining to show up for work, activists began gathering Monday morning at major junctions and on other roads around the country.
Demonstrators blocked major streets in Tel Aviv and shut down highways leading to the city from the north and east, bringing traffic on the Route 1 and Route 4 highways to a standstill. To the deafening beat of drums, they vowed not to abandon those hostages still held in Gaza and believed to be alive, and accused the government of leaving them to die there.
In north Tel Aviv, hundreds blocked the intersection of Namir and Rokach boulevards, snarling major arteries leading to the country’s economic heart. Protesters also stopped traffic at the Pil Junction, another major route into the city.
“Why are they still in Gaza,” protesters chanted, as many held posters demanding a deal and calling for the government to consider “values before everything.”
Gil Dickmann, the cousin of murdered hostage Carmel Gat, whose body was recovered by the IDF on Saturday night along with five others, told reporters that the strike and the latest round of protests show that most Israelis want a hostage deal.
“I guess we had to lose our most precious things for it to become time for [a general strike],” he said. “There’s mixed feelings that everyone is finally coming out, but it’s too late for Carmel and all the hostages we didn’t save. If we don’t do it ourselves, no one is going to do it for us.”
In Karkur, Beersheba, Modiin and other cities, crowds of dozens or hundreds rallied on sidewalks or briefly blocked intersections.
Banks, some large malls and government offices were all closed due to the strike and public transit was limited. Municipalities in Israel’s populated central area, including Tel Aviv, were participating in the strike, leading to shortened school hours and cancellations for public daycares and kindergartens.
The coordinated action was among the largest since the hostage crisis began some 11 months ago, bringing to mind large anti-government protests aimed at thwarting a judicial system overhaul that overtook the country in the months before Hamas’s October 7 massacre.
Protests were slated to continue throughout the day, with large demonstrations planned for Monday afternoon in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Announcing the strike Sunday, Histadrut Labor Federation chief Arnon Bar-David said the work stoppage could go beyond a single day, and sources quoted in Hebrew media indicated that more unions could join in the future.
But the Histadrut later told a local labor court that it would end the strike by Monday evening, answering one of two legal challenges seeking to shut down the labor action.
Some 10 municipalities shut down services as part of the strike Monday, including Ra’anana, Kfar Saba, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Hod Hasharon and Herzliya, while several others were holding solidarity strikes lasting for part of the day.
Other municipalities — including Jerusalem, Ashdod, Bnei Brak, Netanya, Ramle, Dimona, Holon, Petah Tikva, Kiryat Gat, Arad, Beit Shemesh, the northern town of Katzrin, the Merom HaGalil Regional Council and the settlements of Efrat and Ma’ale Adumim — were not participating in the strike.
נתב״ג הבוקר. השביתה בעיצומה@ynetalerts pic.twitter.com/BRWrbwwYyw
— Dan Raban | דן רבן (@dan_raban) September 2, 2024
Government ministers denounced the strike as illegal.
At Ben Gurion Airport, a partial shutdown began at 8 a.m. and lasted into the afternoon, despite heavy pressure from the Transportation Ministry. Israeli airlines had rescheduled their flights to work around what was initially reported as a limited strike, but service disruptions were expected to continue throughout the day, according to reports.
The airport remained open for arrivals, but workers would not unload baggage, Channel 12 reported Monday morning. Images circulating on social media during the striking period showed bags left sitting on the tarmac, presumably from arrivals, as well as bags piled up inside the airport beside closed check-in counters.
Local buses were operating in a partial capacity Monday morning, as was the Tel Aviv-area light rail, while the Jerusalem light rail had a delayed start.
The teachers union announced that kindergartens across the country would be closed on Monday, and that schools would operate partially until 11:45. Some high school teachers were already on strike as the school year began on Sunday, amid a protracted salary and benefits conflict with the Education Ministry.
The Education Ministry rejected the strike altogether, issuing a statement that teachers and staff “are required to come to schools and kindergartens.”
The Association of University Heads announced that research universities across Israel would join the strike, but noted that previously scheduled exams would take place as planned, so as not to negatively affect students who serve in the military reserves.
Hospitals and several utility companies were operating at weekend capacity, and health clinics were operating in an emergency framework. Two of the country’s health funds — Clalit and Meuhedet — are striking.
The strike began despite vocal opposition from ministers in the government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who branded the strike illegal and accused the Histadrut of playing into the hands of Hamas.
At Smotrich’s request, the State Attorney’s Office asked the Labor Court on Monday to issue an injunction against the strike, arguing that a political strike is prohibited by law.
A Histadrut lawyer told the court that the strike would end by 6 p.m. The court later ruled that the strike must end at 2:30 p.m., with the judge saying that the work action was political in nature.
A separate petition was filed in the High Court of Justice by the Tikva Forum, a group of hostage families that advocates increased military pressure on Hamas and opposes the existing framework for a hostage-ceasefire deal, also seeking an injunction against the strike.
A hearing was scheduled for noon.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid expressed support for the strike, saying Sunday, “No Israeli can stand by while the country is falling apart.”
Sam Sokol and Naomi Lanzkron contributed to this report.
