After an Iranian ballistic missile struck the Holon home belonging to five construction workers from Uzbekistan on Thursday, the Histadrut’s construction workers union stepped in to support the workers.
“We bought them everything they were missing to furnish and equip a new apartment in place of the damaged one,” Wael Abadi, who manages the construction workers union foreign labor division, explained. “We went with the owner to organize everything they needed so that by evening, they would arrive at a new apartment without lacking anything.”
The strike took place around 7 a.m. on Thursday. Luckily, that meant that the workers were not in their home, since they had left for work an hour earlier.
In the afternoon, Abadi said, the manager of the corporation employing the workers contacted him, and together they went to the site to assess the damage and purchase all the personal equipment the workers needed, including beds, mattresses, and clothing.
“At the Histadrut, we don’t distinguish between Israeli workers, foreign workers, and Palestinian workers. We are committed to ensuring the rights, safety, and well-being of all workers,” he emphasized.
The workers had arrived in Israel just a week ago, Shraga Rubinstein, owner of the Shoshanim Manpower Corporation, which employs the workers, said. Rubinstein said he had received a message from the landlord attempting to confirm that the workers had not been present during the strike.
“I immediately updated the Histadrut about the incident, and Abadi came from Kafr Kanna to meet me on-site, brought me personal equipment kits for the workers, and told me, ‘Whatever you need—you’ll get,” Rubinstein said.
He added that the workers also received vouchers to purchase new clothing.
“The workers were a little shocked, but we gradually calmed them down,” he said. “It’s important to say that both the building they were living in and the alternative housing we arranged for them have shelters, and we also instructed them on what to do in case of a siren. I’m very grateful to the Histadrut for stepping in and helping at the critical moment.”
According to Mazal Golan, chair of the Histadrut’s construction workers union, the workers came to Israel through a foreign manpower corporation unionized under the Histadrut. When the workers arrive in the country, they receive a practical safety course, including training for working at height. “A representative from our side meets them on-site and explains through a translator about the Histadrut, their rights, and how to contact us if needed,” she said.
“As far as we’re concerned, they’re workers in every respect—people who left their homes and heritage to help us build the state of Israel,” she continued. “It’s our duty to care for them, especially in such difficult moments.”
Golan emphasized that the assistance was provided with the support of Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David and as part of his policy to support workers whose homes were damaged in the war.
The Histadrut’s construction workers union also worked together with Israel’s national occupational safety institute to translate a Home Front Command instructional video with protection guidelines for construction sites into Arabic, Chinese, Thai, and Hindi.
