Histadrut Chair Arnon Bar-David issued the following special statement Saturday morning following Hamas’ attack on Israel, which killed at least 300 Israelis and injured more than 1,000:
“My brothers and sisters, citizens of Israel, members of the Histadrut,
“At this difficult time, when the state of Israel, and especially the residents of the south, are under murderous attack, I feel immense pain in the face of the shocking massacre and the cruel attack on the people and the country.
“The heart cries out to heaven and there are no words that can offer comfort. At this time, there is only room for unity and for our shared pain.
“Many public servants are deployed in all areas assisting the security forces and the general public: from medical teams and social workers to local government employees, firefighters, Magen David Adom teams, electrical workers, and many more. I support them and pray that they return home safely.
“The state of Israel is at war. Each of us is a soldier in his own field. Be responsible. Follow the instructions. Donate blood throughout the country.
“We will hurt, we will fight, and we will win, because we have no other country. This is our home.”
On Sunday, Bar-David announced its initial response to the emergency situation. The Histadrut will open its rooms in institutions such as the International Institute of Leadership in Kfar Saba and the Mishan senior living network to families fleeing southern Israel. The Histadrut hotline will operate as an emergency line to connect families with available rooms.
The hotline will also provide all Israeli residents with psychological support through social workers and the participation of the Israel Psychological Association. The hotline is also open to all workers, regardless of Histadrut membership, with questions about their employment rights in times of war. This service is in coordination with the instructions of the Home Front Command.
The Histadrut can be contacted in the following ways:
Phone: *2383 Sunday through Thursday, 8:00 AM – 6:00. Outside of those hours, callers can leave a message that will be answered by a Histadrut representative later on.
WhatsApp – 054-8678673.
Email – moked@histadrut.org.il.
