The High-Tech Headquarters, which includes dozens of leading Israeli high-tech companies and venture capital funds, has announced that it will allow employees to participate in the strike organized by the families of hostages and fallen soldiers next Sunday, August 17. Companies that have declared their support include Meta, Wix, Fiverr, HoneyBook, Mint Media, Fireblocks, BigID, Papaya Global, Rempy, Natural Intelligence and others, alongside venture capital funds such as Qumra Capital, Pitango, Disruptive, NFX and more.
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Families with a banner that reads: 'Putting the country on strike, rescuing hostages and soldiers'
(Photo: Moti Kimhi)
"We are at a critical juncture in the story of the Israeli nation, and we cannot stand idly by. IDF Chief of Staff’s words are clear: soldiers are being sent into a deathtrap, and the lives of the hostages are being put at certain risk. This is a moment when every Jew and Israeli, who holds the values of the sanctity of life and mutual responsibility dear, must show their support for the families, stand by them and demand an end to the war and the immediate return of all the hostages in one step," the high tech headquarters said in a statement.
The headquarters added: "Time is running out, and we hope and expect full mobilization from all sectors of the country to stand alongside the families. We are making comprehensive preparations to support this critical fight at every level."
The High-Tech Headquarters was originally established in early 2023 during the protests against judicial reform, with high-tech workers becoming a central driving force in the demonstrations. At the height of that struggle, protests were held simultaneously in approximately 20 high-tech hubs across the country.
Sunday morning, representatives of the October Council, which brings together over 1,500 bereaved families, families of hostages, hostage survivor and survivors of the October 7 massacre, announced a strike to take place exactly one week from today, in response to the cabinet's decision to invade Gaza City. "We are shutting down the country to save the soldiers and the hostages," they declared.
The families clarified that the strike would be carried out "from the bottom up," citing a lack of cooperation from the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor). "This will happen through private companies, organizations, labor unions and private citizens, who will take a day off and halt economic activity for one day. The goal of the strike is to save the lives of the hostages and soldiers and to prevent more families from joining the circle of bereavement," the families said in a statement.
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The families convened at the Sarona compound in central Tel Aviv, near the Kirya IDF headquarters, where they outlined the strike that they said would begin next Sunday at 7:00 a.m. They called on workers and private companies to join them, stating: "Silence is killing. We are shutting down the country to save the hostages and soldiers."
At a press conference, Reut Recht-Adri, whose son Ido was killed while attending the Nova music festival, said: "18 mothers of living hostages don’t want to pay the same price I’ve already paid. Thirty mothers want a grave, like the one I have, where they can go and cry. Until now, strikes in Israel have been about money, conditions and raises—it’s time for a strike by Israeli citizens to demand the immediate rescue of our brothers and soldiers. On Sunday, we will all stop and say: Enough. It’s in our hands."
Opposition and Histadrut respond
The chairman of the Histadrut's Information Department, Yaniv Levy, told Ynet on Sunday morning: "Many families have approached us. They know that both I and Arnon Bar-David (the chairman of the Histadrut) have supported the families of hostages since October 7. I was one of the founders of the headquarters, and Arnon was among the public figures who showed responsibility and courage. In the past, Arnon made the brave decision to shut down the economy, but the court stopped the strike. At this stage, Arnon believes that a strike cannot help the fight or ease the families' pain."
Levy continued: "A strike will not serve the purpose. Arnon will meet with the families tomorrow morning. We will hear them out. Members of the business forum will also join the meeting to explore ways to help. The strike is a means, not an end, when problems arise. We need to see how to use the ultimate weapon. At the moment, there will not be a general strike in the economy, despite the pain and understanding."
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid expressed support for the families' decision, saying: "The call by the families of the hostages to shut down the economy is justified and appropriate. We will continue to stand by their side."
Yair Golan, leader of the Democratic Party, voiced his support on X, stating: "I call on all Israelis—anyone who values life and mutual responsibility—to strike with us, take to the streets, protest, and disrupt. We cannot continue with business as usual while our brothers and sisters in Gaza are abandoned. We cannot remain silent in the face of this reality."