In its third month, the strike at Israel's
Foreign Ministry (MOFA) is affecting many pilgrims to the Holy Land. Some Indonesian
nuns and several Chinese Catholics have thus not been able to get a visa from an
Israeli embassy or consulate.
Pilgrims are not alone in this quandary.
Dozens of athletes and staff
coming for the Maccabean Games, a two-week international sporting event set to
start on 18 July, have been unable to receive a visa to enter the country, including
those from at least 14 countries: Armenia, Aruba, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia,
Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nicaragua, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
Even Diaspora Jews who planned to make Aliyah (return to the land of
Israel) are still waiting for Israeli embassies to reopen.
The crisis began more than three months ago when diplomats demanded
higher salaries (which can be as low as US$ 2,300
a month after 15 years of service) as
well as compensation for their spouses who cannot find work
abroad.
The Treasury rejected the demands of the union representing Ministry staff,
a situation that was compounded by controversial departmental restructuring following
January's elections that saw the creation of a Ministry of Foreign Relations alongside
the existing Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In order to "accommodate" its new political allies, Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also deputised the new Justice Minister, Tzipi
Livni, as Israel's chief negotiator with the Palestinians, and rewarded Naftali Bennett with control of separate new
government bodies in charge of relations with the Jewish Diaspora and hasbara. These,
too, were snatched from Foreign Affairs.
In reaction, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, which employs more
than 1,200 people, said the new Ministry of Foreign Relations was a "needless and
wasteful" creation.
In view of the situation, MOFA employees went on full strike, stopped
issuing visas and reports, or help outbound Israeli leaders or foreign leaders
coming to Israel.
Israel's military responded saying that the strike is jeopardising Israel's
security and that of Israelis abroad.
For its part, the Treasury took a hard line, and ordered a host of
economic sanctions against the striking diplomats, instructing that their pay
be further cut.