Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David and President of the Business Sector, Dubi Amitai, have called for Prime Minister Netanyahu to take urgent steps to save El Al, Israel's largest airline company. "Unless granted a government backed loan, El Al will collapse. The government's disengagement from El Al is an unacceptable neglect of all the values we hold dear. The citizens will pay an unreasonable price for it" they declared.
Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David and chairman of the Business Sector, Dubi Amitai, contacted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, calling on him to ensure El Al's continued existence after the Ministry of Finance rejected the company's request for assistance.
The two defined the refusal to grant El Al a government backed loan as a scandalous decision that raises serious doubts. "The present reality has proven to us repeatedly that aviation independence is essential for the state's ability to care for its citizens. Without an airline like El Al, the State of Israel risks becoming an island under siege in times of crisis."
"Don't let El Al collapse on your shift!" The Chairman of the Histadrut and the Chairman of the Business Sector appealed to the Prime Minister. "The liquidation of El Al would be a terrible loss and many Isralis will pay a dear price for it. The direct result of your silence could mean thousands of layoffs, a loss of income for over 30,000 households, and a NIS 2.5 billion hit to GDP. In the meantime, the State of Israel will lose its fundamental ability to rescue Israelis around the world, in times of crisis or emergency."
Bar-David and Chairman of the Business Sector stated that many countries around the world have provided tens of billions of dollars in aid to their airlines. Bar-David and Amitai added: "Governments around the globe have realized that ensuring the resilience of national and domestic airlines is not only a more economically viable decision but also required to maintain national security. "
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Brought to press with the help of the International Relations Division of the Histadrut