Arnon Bar-David: General strike tomorrow to bring home the hostages

“Tomorrow, the entire nation will come to a standstill and unite in a shared cry to bring the hostages back,” said Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David this evening (Sunday) in his speech to the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who gathered at the rally in Tel Aviv. “Anyone trying to paint the strike with political colors should remember who we are stopping everything for tomorrow.”

Bar-David’s remarks come in the wake of the devastating news about the murder of the six hostages and in light of the announcement of a general strike tomorrow (Monday) aimed at raising the outcry for the hostages and promoting a deal to save them.

“I am here in the name of the Israeli ethos, in the name of the shared destiny that turns us all from tribes into one nation. I am here to fight so that we will never leave anyone behind. The Jewish people do not leave anyone behind,” Bar-David said to the crowd at the mass rally in front of the Kirya. “This is not a matter of right or left; it is a matter of life and death. All the heads of the security establishment support the deal, and it is the government’s responsibility to bring our hostages home. It is inconceivable that our children will not return because of narrow considerations and interests.”

According to him, “Any painful price we are required to pay for a deal to bring our sons and daughters home is far lower than the cost of continuing the abandonment. I call on the general public not to remain indifferent and to take to the streets tomorrow. The day of the strike is not for sitting at home but for going out to protest and to cry out the cry of our people. Do not lend a hand to incitement and division—lend a hand to saving lives.”

Bar-David said he expects all workplaces in Israel, both in the private and public sectors, to join the solidarity strike and unite under the call to bring the hostages home.

The Histadrut chairman, who met this morning with representatives of the hostages’ families, clarified that he could not remain silent while Israelis are being brutally murdered by terrorists in Gaza. “I refuse to remain indifferent to the fact that our beloved country is becoming a country that abandons its people,” he declared. “The situation in the country is deteriorating from bad to worse. Abandonment is the key word, and we see its damage in all areas. Abandonment of hostages, abandonment of Israelis uprooted from their homes, abandonment in security, abandonment in education, and abandonment in the economy.”

He warned that in addition to the failure to implement the plan to free the hostages, Israel is also heading toward an economic catastrophe. “I am not telling anyone anything new when I talk about the cost-of-living crisis and the housing crisis. We will see a mass economic collapse here. Already, there are worrying signals that inflation is not stopping, the Bank of Israel is warning of the weakening of the shekel, Israel’s credit rating is dropping with a negative outlook, discussions on next year’s budget have not yet begun, the deficit is deepening, and the coalition is demanding to expand it even further. It seems that only one thing is working here as it should: coalition funds continue to flow into unnecessary ministries without problems. It is important to emphasize that the fear of economic catastrophe already exceeds all the worst-case scenarios, and that is without knowing how long the war will last. We will all pay the price of abandonment, but it won’t end there. Future generations will also pay.”

In an earlier, “charged and difficult meeting at the Histadrut headquarters in Tel-Aviv,” Bar-David emphasized that “Until now, I have shown a lot of responsibility, and it hasn’t been easy. But I feel that we cannot stand idly by. We cannot ignore the cries of our children who are being murdered in the tunnels in Gaza; it is inconceivable. We are in a downward spiral and keep receiving body bags. Only a strike will shake things up, and that’s why I decided that starting tomorrow at 6:00 AM, the entire Israeli economy will strike.”

The Histadrut Chairman called on other sectors of the economy to join the effort. “I am calling from here for all organizations to join the strike and to cry out for our beloved country, the dead, the displaced, and the hostages,” he said.

According to the Histadrut Chairman, “A deal must be reached; this is the most important thing.” He mentioned that he had spoken with various figures in the security establishment and others and understood that the deal is not progressing due to political considerations.

He also stated in his declaration, “The incitement between parts of society must stop. We are no longer one nation, and therefore we must restore Israel to a reasonable routine.”

Sharon Sharabi, a representative of the hostages’ families (whose brother Yossi was murdered in captivity and whose brother Eli is still in Gaza), thanked the Histadrut Chairman for the decision. “This is a noble act on your part. You decided to take an action that sanctifies the values of the people of Israel, sanctifies solidarity and mutual responsibility. This is the leadership we expected, an act that unites right and left and puts the focus on human life.”

He added, “This is not just a deal; it is a plan to save lives, and Arnon’s action clarifies that the hostages are the top priority. Until then, it is impossible to establish a normal routine. I call on the people of Israel to leave everything and come support us. This is an opportunity to reunite in the spirit of human life and the lives of our soldiers, who also need to come home safely. I thank the Histadrut and call on all organizations: join the strike until everyone returns home.”

The strike will include Israel’s national airport, Ben Gurion Airport, and will begin 8:00 AM (Monday). The Chairman of the Transport and Ports Workers’ Union in the Histadrut, Attorney Eyal Yadin, clarified that the strike will apply to all departures, except for exempted flights that will be approved by the exceptions committee. Additionally, the strike will not apply to landings at Ben Gurion Airport.