They are the front line: Driving an Israeli bus under rocket fire

While rockets fall, Israel’s bus drivers remain on the road, protecting passengers under fire. Uri Matoki, Director of the Histadrut’s Public Transportation Division, sheds light on their daily bravery and the urgent struggle for financial certainty during wartime.

From the bus bombings of the 1990s to the knife attacks of the 2010s, Israeli bus drivers have always found themselves on the front lines of civic resilience. In February, amid ongoing rocket fire, they again faced a harrowing new reality: navigating packed buses through air-raid sirens, sheltering vulnerable passengers, and making split-second, life-or-death decisions on the road. Yet, despite operating as an essential lifeline at 60% capacity under immense pressure, these drivers faced severe financial anxiety due to government delays in compensation frameworks. In this video, Uri Matoki, Director of the Public Transportation Division at the Transportation Union of the Histadrut, highlighted the extraordinary bravery of these workers and demanded that the government secure their livelihoods before the holidays commenced.