Israeli court rules against general strike pressuring government to reach deal with Hamas

Court rules general strike called to demand immediate hostage deal is illegal, orders striking employees to return to work by Monday afternoon.

By World Israel News Staff

An Israeli labor court ruled against the Histadrut Labor Federation Monday afternoon, finding that its general strike, called to pressure the government to reach a hostage deal with the Hamas terror organization, was illegal.

The Bat Yam Labor Court issued its ruling shortly after 1:30 Monday afternoon, instructing striking workers to return to their places of business and resume normal operations by 2:30 p.m. that same day.

The Histadrut had launched a general strike Monday, which had been set to last until 6:00 p.m., after six Israeli captives taken hostage on October 7th and held in the Gaza Strip, were found dead early Sunday morning.

The six were shot in the head no earlier than 48 hours before their retrieval, forensic examinations revealed.

“Tomorrow, the entire nation will come to a standstill and unite in a shared cry to bring the hostages back,” Arnon Bar-David, chairman of the Histadrut, had declared Sunday night, denying that the strike was political in nature.

“Anyone trying to paint the strike with political colors should remember who we are stopping everything for tomorrow.”

After the court issued its ruling Monday, Bar-David pledged to adhere to the ruling, but called on the public to continue protests demanding an immediate hostage deal.

“It is important to emphasize that the solidarity strike was a significant measure and I stand behind it. Despite the attempts to paint solidarity as political, hundreds of thousands of citizens voted with their feet.”

“I thank every one of you — you proved that the fate of the hostages is not right-wing or left-wing, there is only life or death, and we won’t allow life to be abandoned.”

The strike drew mixed responses, with many businesses and workers in municipal workers in dozens of towns and cities across the country ignoring the call to strike.

At the same time, thousands of protesters took to the streets during the strike, blocking roads and intersections across the country, in solidarity with the strikers.

Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel’s largest air travel hub, was shuttered for hours Monday beginning at 8:00 a.m., despite initially plans to have the shutdown last for just two hours.

Following the labor court’s order, however, operations at the airport resumed Monday afternoon.

Israel’s Supreme Court refused to hear a petition against the strike brought by the Gvura Forum, which represents families of terror victims killed on October 7th. The court cited the hearing in the Bat Yam Labour Court, saying it was unnecessary for the high court to simultaneously address the issue.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party) praised the labor court’s ruling Monday, accusing protesters and strikers of unwittingly serving Hamas’ interests.

“The court accepted our position and ruled that the Histadrut strike is political and illegal.”

“Israeli workers who showed up to work in droves today proved that the days of [labor union domination] controlling workers for political needs are over.”

“We won’t allow harm to the Israeli economy and thereby serve the interests of Sinwar and Hamas,” Smotrich tweeted.