DGB – German Trade Unions Delegation Visits Israel in Solidarity

A delegation from the DGB, the German Trade Union Confederation, is currently visiting Israel on a solidarity mission that also marks the 50th anniversary of the first cooperation agreement between the Histadrut and the DGB.

The delegation, led by DGB President Yasmin Fahimi, has sat for a meeting with Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David and leading union chairs, met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, and met with Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, at an event held by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Israel. Their stay also includes visits to Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, the Gaza Envelope, and Ramallah.

In their first day, Fahimi and other DGB and affiliated unions’ officials met with Bar-David and their Israeli counterparts at the Histadrut headquarters. They discussed various issues, including ways to combat anti-Israel activities in global unions, expanding youth exchange programs, and developing initiatives in the areas of equality and workplace safety.

“We are in a complex period and dealing with things that not every country experiences,” Bar-David told the delegation. “There is not a single day of peace, and within all the events – we are coping and taking care of the workers and stabilizing the Israeli economy.”

Bar-David acknowledged Israeli workers’ challenges, including those in the ports, railways, government offices, and municipalities. He also noted the many residents who were evacuated from their homes and are now returning to rebuild their businesses.

Despite the difficulties, Bar-David remains optimistic. “I believe in the Israeli worker and in the Israeli economy,” he said.

In addition to Fahimi, the DGB delegation includes union chairs: Frank Werneke, the Chairman of Ver.Di, Michael Vassiliadis, the Chairman of IGBCE, and Martin Burkert, the Chairman of EVG. Other participants from the DGB are Managing Director Konrad Klingenburg, International Relations Director Annika Wünsche, and International Relations Officer Bernhard Schulz.

At the end of their first day, Fahimi wrote: “Friendship, partnership and future in the Middle East! We came from the DGB to Israel to show our solidarity with the people here.” Fahimi noted the delegation’s important ceremony in Yad Vashem and the conversations held about the future and the pathways for peace.

Gary Kaplan, International Relations Officer at the Histadrut, who manages the delegation, said: “The solidarity visit of the DGB president and it’s affiliated union presidents, is deeply heartwarming and important. Solidarity is measured at times of crisis; never since the Holocaust have the Jewish people and the people of Israel been so isolated and ignored by most of the world which is also reflected whithin the global trade union movement. This year we are marking 50 years of friendship and collaboration between our organisations and 60 years since diplomatic relations between Israel and Germany were officiated. We were back then, are now and will always be, at the forefront of the special relations between our people’s. This visit symbolises that very core essence. While the war has temporarily disrupted vital exchanges due to safety concerns, both the Histadrut and the DGB have found new ways to connect. We continue to discuss workers’ rights, to learn from our shared history, and to work together for a better future for workers in both our countries and across the globe.“

In the work meeting at the Histadrut, participants included Chairman Bar-David, Chairman of International Affairs Gershon Gelman, Director General of the International Relations Division Peter Lerner, UCAPSE Chairman Gil Bar-Tal, IUGE Chairman Ofir Alkalay, Transportation and Ports Union Chairman Eyal Yadin, Director of International Relations Avital Shapira-Shapiro, and International Relations Officer Gary Kaplan who is managing the delegation.

This article incorporates information from an article published by Davar