On August 31, 2024, as clashes between Israel and the Palestinian radical Hamas movement continued in the Gaza Strip, demonstrators held a protest in Tel Aviv to demand the release of a man held by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip since October. Demonstrators holding hostages of Israelis held up flags and placards. (Photo by Jack Guz/AFP) (Photo by Jack Guz/AFP via Getty Images)
Jake Guess | AFP | Getty Images
Protests have spread to the streets of Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government faces growing pressure to reach a ceasefire with Hamas and repatriate hostages from the Gaza Strip, as the Jewish state prepares for a nationwide strike .
Arnon Bar-David – Chairman of Histadrut, Israel’s largest union, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers in areas including: Healthcare and Banking – The group calls for a general strike against the Israeli economy on Monday explain Frustration has grown across the country over Netanyahu’s government’s failure to reach a deal and bring home captive relatives.
“We cannot stand before the cries of the children who were murdered in the Gaza tunnels, it is unacceptable,” Bar David saysaccording to Google Translate.
Peter Lerner, director of international relations for the Histadrut, told CNBC’s Dan Murphy that the strike began at 6 a.m. local time in Israel on Monday and affected areas from Beersheba in the south to Haifa, Israel. private and public sectors in the region.
“Obviously, the impact of the war on the Israeli economy is devastating. We are worried about workers’ jobs and worried about where the government is leading us,” he said, adding that the discovery of more bodies of hostages has raised concerns. It expressed “serious concern” over ongoing negotiations to secure the freedom of the remaining captives.
“We have a very clear view that the people need to come first,” Lerner said. “That’s what we do in our union work and that’s what we expect the government to do when it comes to bringing the hostages home. “
Ron Tomer, president of the Israel Manufacturers Association, supports the campaign explain“We have waited too long for the right deal – it’s time to bring the abductees home. The government must ensure that every effort is made to return the abductees as quickly as possible, but also within the constraints of a limited stop -” We A call to action for all businesses in Israel.
Family, friends and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza join a protest on the Israeli coastal road outside Kibbutz Yakum.
Image Alliance | Image Alliance | Getty Images
Some municipality and Council has announced support for the demonstrations.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticized the action and on Sunday asked the country’s attorney general to urgently apply to the court for a restraining order to cancel Monday’s “political strike”.
“I ordered the head of payroll to pass on a clear directive, which has been issued: Employees who do not come to work tomorrow will not be paid,” he said in a Google Translate. social media posts.
“The leaders of the Histadrut will not be allowed to subvert the state and use workers as weapons to advance their political views.”
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid backed the demonstrations, urging “the General Workers’ Union, employers and local authorities to shut down the economy. You can’t go on like this,” Google Translate said. renew on X social media platform.
The Israel Defense Forces called for strike action after Sunday report The bodies of six hostages kidnapped by Hamas have been found in a tunnel in the besieged southern Gaza Strip controlled by the Palestinian militant group. The Israel Defense Forces estimates that Hamas still holds another 101 prisoners captured in the faction’s October 7 terror attack, but it is unclear how many of those hostages are still alive.
The development comes after progress in negotiations between Israel, Hamas and mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States stalled, reigniting resentment among Israelis who have been calling for the release of the hostages even at the cost of ending the war.
According to Google Translate, large crowds rallied in major Israeli cities on Sunday, with more than 300,000 people demonstrating in Tel Aviv. renew from the Hostage Family Forum, which organized some of the protests.
“Whoever murdered our abductees does not want a deal,” Netanyahu said. explain In a social media post on Google Translate. His government has previously announced that the Gaza offensive can only be completed after successfully neutralizing Hamas’s military capabilities and securing the release of all hostages.
The ongoing war has also exacerbated domestic divisions and increasingly isolated Israel from the international community, which has urged a ceasefire amid concerns about the country’s military response in the Gaza enclave and harm to Palestinian civilians.
It’s a further heavy blow to the Israeli economy, whose public finances are strained by simultaneous fighting in the Gaza enclave and a reduced frequency of military operations against the militant group Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon. Israel’s gross domestic product Notched The annual growth rate in the second quarter was 1.2%, well below the consensus of 4.4%. According to Reuters.
On August 12, Fitch Ratings Downgrade Israel’s credit score rose to A from A+, issuing a negative outlook, citing the impact of “elevated geopolitical risks and military operations on multiple fronts.” The agency expects Israel’s budget deficit to reach 7.8% of GDP in 2024, and predicts that debt will remain above 70% of GDP in the medium term.
“The (hostage) situation immediately affects our economy, it affects the cost of living here, it affects the credibility that Israel gets,” Lerner said on Monday. “It’s not easy to declare a general strike in the middle of a general strike,” Lerner said on Monday. .
