Israel diplomats' strike threatens PM's Washington trip
Foreign ministry union orders staff not to cooperate with Netanyahu's delegation as direct peace talks restart in the United States.
By Barak Ravid Tags: Israel news Benjamin NetanyahuPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks set to face serious obstacles as he travels to Washington for a high-profile peace summit – but this time it is his own diplomats, not the Palestinians, who are causing him strife.
On Tuesday the foreign ministry's workers' committee sent a telegram to Israel's Washington embassy, instructing staff there not to assist the prime minister during his visit.
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U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting in the U.S. in January 2010. |
| Photo by: (GPO) |
At a meeting early Tuesday, the committee decided to ramp up labor sanctions it imposed a few weeks ago to demand more pay.
The diplomats say they are fighting to bring their salaries and working conditions in line with those of the defense forces and the intelligence community.
As a result, embassy workers will refuse to assist in any administrative aspect of the visit, including hotel reservations, organizing transportation for the Netanyahu or his staff, and the prime minister's arrival at the airport.
They will also avoid dealing with press conferences, spokesmanship, briefings and coordination with U.S. officials.
Despite these sanctions, the foreign ministry believes that the prime minister's office will be able to carry out the visit without the help of the embassy, as much of the logistics of this U.S-organized summit will be taken care of by the White House.
A senior ministry source said that Israel's U.S. envoy Michael Oren, who was appointed directly by Netanyahu, will not cooperate with the strike.
"We hope that the rest of the embassy staff will obey the workers' committee's instructions," he added.
The strike has already caused tension between the foreign ministry an Israel's spy agency the Mossad. During Netanyahu's recent trip to Greece, diplomats accused the intelligence service of breaking their picket line after it stepped in to help organize the visit.
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a settler living in an illegal settlement on the West Bank? Wonder if he has filled the Israeli Embassy in Washington with like minded people?
I pray that Prime Minister does not come here for the sake of Israel I pray for Israel everyweek Bless you
Who in the heck do they think they are, American teachers or Union Members ? They're getting paid more than they're worth, if they don't like their jobs, nobody is forcing them to stay
It is everyone's human right to withdraw their labour in order to get an injustice of the workplace negotiated. Israel as a democracy should acknowledge this. What is suspect is the timing and whether this is a genuine labour dispute or another attempt by Netanyahu to delay the inevitable.
I did not know that Israel had any diplomats! If so, fire them all with no payment whatsoeverr. It is time to build a real "diplomatic corp" that represents and works for its country.
The union really should make a formal request for a pay rise to the US Treasury.
And I thought this could be another courageous move from the BDS movement... Alas, it's just some public servants asking for more pay.
No wonder tyour government acts as if world does not matter.
I know how this work is. A pleasure. Of course, only for those who enjoy stupid conversation (not everybody does) or cocktail parties and the like... Also some sex on the side... On foreign assignments one can save almost the whole salary...etc...But you may have to give up normal family life. Aha... Everything tax free. ....meat from Argentina, etc.....even butter,,,, and drinks, drinks, drinks! All in all, difficult life....
Don't forget the forging of passports, spying, and kidnapping.
I guess those dudes in GosDep will write off Mossad paychecks as a late night fundraiser cheerleaders.
What a bunch of jokers!
i needed a laugh today.
It's always the same amusing garbage from you, day in an day out. Israel doesn't want peace. Netanyahu doesn't want peace. Israel is deathly afraid of peace. Israel desperately needs war. What utter rubbish. Tell us, oh genius one, just who is that wants peace. Would that be Hamas, Hezbollah, Fatah, Islamic Jihad, PFLP, PLO, Al Aqsa Martyrs brigade, Taliban, Al-Qaida ??? Like I said, Lincoln, you're a laugh. Frankly, I believe you've worked you way up the likes of Durson and Linthwaite in the race to be the biggest fool here.
you seem to know what israel wants.you're a better man than i (and lincoln)if you could impart this knowledge which i,of necessity well versed in matters israeli,have not been able to fathom.same goes for what the u.s.a. wants.
If you really want a laugh, don't restrict yourself to just one, read about all the American Teachers strikes which are bankrupting their towns with monetary extortion that people can't afford to pay The U.S. just bailed the teachers and the Unions too, to the tune of $26 BILLIONS That should make you hysterical, when you get your new series of tax increaes, that you'll be forced to contribute to
because the lies don't work anymore
Because of the likes of Durson, Linthwaite and all the other Israel bashers, my posts seldom get printed (regardless of content); my friends tell me that they have the same problem. But let's not forget that this the Haaretz site. Haaretz that decides which comments get through - and we know what views they favor (I bet this one doesn't make it!) When I first started reading the online paper I was sure I would be able to participate in interesting exchange of opinions with people from all over the world, including (I was naive, with the journalists who don't seem to give a damn what we actually think). Alas, this has not been the case - I am not even given a chance! Oh well, there are other sites...
Anywhere else they would be fired, including in America. Bravo Israel.
Anywhere else they would be fired, including in America. Bravo Israel.
its funny because this is daily reality in Greece.Haha and we said only in Greece things like that happened not in England,Italy,ex,haha.We actually believe everything goes clockwise downthere,and strikes are forbidden because here we have strikes every week.
It was not a simple decision to go on strike, but try to understand, we are representing our country abroad and cannot afford a normal life. we are people with Phd's and MA's, each of us knows at least 3 languages and we are earning an average of 1700 dollars a month. Our children have psychological problems because they have to leave their friends and school and environments every three or four years. Our spouses cannot make a carrier because we are serving our country. we don't have a choice, this was our only mean. Help us and ask the ministry of finance to agree to negotiate with us.
It is one thing to strike inside Israel proper it is a completely different thing to sabotage yours and my Prime Minister(which personally I do not like nor suppport) abroad. I am ready to help the foreign ministry workers by 5 shekels from my own money. That is what those are worth in my own eyes! Ah maybe an olive for your cocktail!!
In the US, civil servants are by law prohibited from striking. In 1981, air traffic controllers went on strike over pay and working conditions. Reagan warned them they would be fired if they did not return to work. They did not, an they WERE fired. The Foreign Ministry's "workers committees" are operating out of an old Bolshevik playbook. If they can't put the public interest ahead of their own, they have no business in public service. If Netanyahu fired the lot of them, he'd be setting a good precedent for the rest of his government.
This summit could decide wether or not there will be peace in the ME or war and the embassy staff are just interested in a pay raise . If they don't work , don't pay them and send them back home .
It sounds as if they have forgotten who the "boss" is. Their failure to do the job that they are paid to do on a timely basis should result in their being fired--across the board. Now the problem of wage equality is totally another subject and must be addressed separately. For the FM Staff to act this way is a major blotch on the face of Israel and they need to wash their face.
AIPAC does the work already.
... they didn't make the grade in the military. A Lexus simply costs more than a Corolla.
Diplomats have a cushy job with lots of perks. Something like this could be worked out without having to make a big deal of it....especially during this next few months with peace talks about to begin.
I wonder when the settlement project will be back to "full steam ahead", as if it's not already being planned. I feel for all human beings under oppression and I hope things get easier for them in this area of the world. Americans fought for freedom, and I can't blame anyone who fights for theirs'
I have NEVER seen a decent human being working at an embassy (any embassy of any country, and I have been to a few). Being a scumbag seems to be one of the job requirements for any position at any embassy.
Terrorists are behind this. How else could one explain such timing.
Leverage. But, anti-Israelis are morons, so they will come up with moronic theories like, "terrorism."
How stupid can you get? Does Fatah go on strike? How about Hamas or Hezbola? You had a nice state but with stuff like this, the settlers, the appeasement of the orthos you're messing it up. It's like you have a death wish. In teh USA we have laws that do not permit public sector workers to go on strike or stage slow-downs. If you can't live by those rules take another job.
Absolutely! Hamas strikes by throwing Fatah off of rooftops. Hezbollah strikes by going onto the streets and shooting their weapons to intimidate the government into giving them what they want. Anti-Israelis are morons.
Absolutely! Hamas strikes by throwing Fatah off of rooftops. Hezbollah strikes by going onto the streets and shooting their weapons to intimidate the government into giving them what they want. Anti-Israelis are morons.
Congratulations Israelis! You have at last graduated and are entering the modern world. Gone are all the idealistic aspirations and the instructions to Abraham to be A Light Unto the Nations.' You are no longer a light but descending into darkness.
First they agree to direct talks. This after their droning on for weeks how they long, how they are panting after peace and talking openly and frankly with the palestinians about Israel's security needs and Israel's security needs and Israel's security needs. End of the agenda, lets go home. Then the gasbag comes out and reiterates what needs to be discussed at the opening talks and it is all about Israel's security needs, then we hear rumblings from the moldovan pitbull that the settlement freeze cannot possibly be extended beyond 26/9. The we've got the well dressed French speaking Morroccan FM coming out and giving his two prutot on why the talks are doomed to failure and now we get the Foreign Ministry jumping on board (remember they are under the watchful and vicious eye of the molodvan pitbull) and saying (interesting that their complaint breaks out at this juncture, isnt it?) that they will strike. Yeh, this is a state that is really longing for peace with their neighbours. Can you hear those caterpillers gunning their engines, rumbling in the background roaring to go on 27/9?
Listen, he can screw it up all alone. And, most likely, he will.
With all that stress of trying to keep the settler wingnuts happy and at the same time pretending he has any interest at all in peace.
and further delay the establishment of a Palestinian State whilst continued building consolidates Israel's landgrab.
are a prime example of whats wrong with Israel, and its descent into a rogue fascist state with colonial ambitions.
are a prime example of whats wrong with Israel, and its descent into a rogue fascist state with colonial ambitions.
are a prime example of whats wrong with Israel, and its descent into a rogue fascist state with colonial ambitions.
... their own ancestral lands now occupied by Jews from Russia, France, Brooklyn...??
where do those illegal settlers live now? of course in the West Bank.
Maybe with a name like bbq, you should be on a spicket roasting like the pig you claim to be. Why don't you go to hell twice arse!!
The delegation is going to show up, dopey.
and further delay the establishment of a Palestinian State whilst continued building consolidates Israel's landgrab.
there are priorities in life. and for all israelis should be Israel as for all jews should be judaism in its broad meaning.
He can just lie to the diplomats and tell them that all their demands are accepted and will be enacted once he returns home. Once back, he can say: "I lied, you know me and should have figured it out".
Foreign Ministry has been little help in this government on peace and alliances...
Parity with defense forces is earned by service, not by striking.
How to make yourself irrelevant in one easy step...
Does this show how seriously some people take the threat of peace?
Peace conference will go on no matter what Israeli deplomats do and that is for sure.
Advise these workers that should mthey fail to perform any of their duties as they should, they will all forfeit their jobs and replacements will be found. Just like Reagan did tio the air traffic controllers
In a third world country they'd get shot. I don't know how it works in your country, but here people are allowed to protest and unite in groups.
It very much fits with Israel, the partially recognised, semi-democracy, veneer of institutions like a high court, with juvenile psych development issues. The only problem being that daddy has given it big guns that go 'boom' real loud. Time to be sent to the bedroom without supper! Israel is very much reflected by the quality of it's apologists (e.g. SDHD) a lot of 'front' but ill-spirited and intellectually severely impaired.
It very much fits with Israel, the partially recognised, semi-democracy, veneer of institutions like a high court, with juvenile psych development issues. The only problem being that daddy has given it big guns that go 'boom' real loud. Time to be sent to the bedroom without supper! Israel is very much reflected by the quality of it's apologists (e.g. SDHD) a lot of 'front' but ill-spirited and intellectually severely impaired.
So embarrassing to be represented by these adolescents...
I do know, so let me help you out...his name is Benjamin Netanyahu, and he is the Prime Minister whose job it is to handle Israel's affairs. When the US diplomatic corps goes on strike...then it will be Obama's turn to be embarrassed.
The Foreign Ministry's Worker's Committee should be embarrassed for any action that undermine's the Prime Minister's visit to Washington. Israel's image has been waning and to strike at a sensitive time is selfish and problematic. Deal with your issues through negotiations, not childish behavior. You're acting like spoiled brats.
athlete's foot.
athlete's foot.
and the other ---well ---nonsense.
Is there something wrong with us??? We stand at the threshold of a possible breakthrough yet civil servants find their 10 o'clock coffee break conditions more important. Enough already.
The Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C. can only help the Prime Minister by not intervering and not doing anything. The foreign ministry representatives have done nothing for the past 63 years outside of abandon Jonathon Pollard
I'm sure PM Netanyahu can figure our how to use a phone and find the bathroom on his own. Lack of involvement from the diplomatic staff will finally prove that they get in the way more often than helping.