Israeli diplomats in 103 embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions around the world have threatened to go on strike, protesting the delay in negotiations to improve their salaries and work conditions.
The diplomats said they are taking escalatory protest measures, slowing down the work process and gradually leading to a general and comprehensive strike that paralyzes work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Informed sources revealed that the measures have started to seriously affect Israeli diplomatic work.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has cancelled several scheduled trips, including one to the United States in May, fearing he would get stuck there without having access to diplomatic services, the sources added.
The diplomats accuse former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governments of causing their distress and neglecting their demands.
The diplomats complain about frozen promotions, wide difference in wages, and the low budget approved for their expenses compared to the envoys of other ministries, as well as the inability to meet their family members’ needs.
They sent a letter to Lapid, in which they demanded an end to their dispute with the Ministry and threatened to refrain from issuing travel documents go on a general strike.
Lapid’s office responded to their letter, affirming that intensive talks are underway with the Ministry of Finance and the State Services department to ensure that their basic demands are met.
The FM expressed his appreciation to the diplomats’ efforts, underscoring their key role to serve the national interest and advance Israel’s foreign relations.
The diplomats raised black flags on the ministry’s flagpole in 2014 when Netanyahu was serving as a foreign and prime minister.
Their strike prompted him to cancel a trip to several countries in Latin America.
