In 2019, 446 men died in work-related accidents, a figure that represents the banality of cruel deaths on construction sites while most of us go about our daily lives, not even noticing.
Last week, a man tumbled to his death on an Ashdod construction site.
A week earlier, two workers died on the same day in neighboring towns.
In the first accident, a 30-year-old man was hit on the head by a heavy, blunt object, and in the second, a man died when a concrete wall collapsed on him. These details matter.
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A construction worker is killed at a building site in Tel Aviv
(Photo: Magen David Adom)
We are told about these three tragic deaths, but we have no idea about their names, their lives or their families.
Workplace safety at construction sites has become grossly neglected in Israel.
The past two years have seen the start of a public debate on the issue and certain regulations have been defined. though it is all too little, too late.
As always, there is not enough of a budget nor is there the manpower to deal with this growing emergency and really no dedicated agency to resolve the issue.
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The rescue of a construction site worker after a fall
(Photo: Israel Fire and Rescue)
Who is going to speak for the anonymous construction worker, at least for the sake of their families?
Of course, such a travesty can only occur in our own backyard because it is usually a non-Jewish worker – Arab or a migrant from some other place.
These workers are not our next-door neighbors nor parents in our children's schools.
The burden of providing a livelihood for their families is what led them to the promised land and what has now caused their deaths.
These silent deaths in our backyard are testimony to a society that cannot spare a moment to look beyond its own front door.
Each one of us is in a daily battle of survival; who has time to worry about those we do not even know?
The strength of a society is measured by its weakest link, and the number of weak links in Israel is steadily growing.
Which party in the upcoming election will raise the issue of construction worker safety? Which politician will be the first to tackle this national disgrace, despite its lack of electoral benefit?
It's not such a far-fetched request. The Knesset has in the past found a way to help underrepresented communities through the strangest alliances.
One of the best examples is The Criminal Prohibition of Consumption of Prostitution Services and Community Treatment Bill which came after years of hard work from volunteers and NGOs.
Knesset members from Meretz on the left to Jewish Home on the far-right cooperated to unite religious leaders, social activists and the media to create a new narrative about sex work and the demonization of the women who make their livelihood from it.
Against all stigmas, our lawmakers were truly loyal servants for the public good.
Construction workers deserve this kind of effort; they deserve a coalition of politicians willing to tackle this urgent issue.
Next time you read about a worker who met his death on a construction site, stop and think. This person died because his employers saw him as no more than a tool. This is a terrible crime that cannot be i.