A protest outside Israel's New York consulate
Diplomats protest outside Israeli embassies worldwide
Foreign Affairs Ministry employees protest working conditions in embassies around the world; protests take place in New York, San Francisco, Berlin, Paris; employment contracts expire at end of year, embassies may be shut down if employees refuse to sign new 2018 contracts.
Hundreds of employees of the Foreign Affairs Ministry around the world demonstrated Wednesday in protest of what they deemed "deplorable working conditions."
Demonstrations were held in Israeli embassies and consulates in New York, Washington, Boston, San Francisco, Houston, Los Angeles, Toronto, Bogotá, Berlin, Munich, Paris, London, Rome, Brussels, Tokyo, Chengdu and Tashkent. The protesters cried out "Enough exploitation", "Demanding fair pay" and "Zionist and poor."
The diplomatic employees further demanded the reform intended to overhaul their conditions of employment—set to enter into force last week but held back due to budgetary disputes—be approved by the end of the year.
Foreign Affairs Ministry employees protest in Berlin
Protest outside the New York consulate
The Foreign Affairs Ministry's workers' union told the ministry's management in Jerusalem that 1,500 of its employees stationed around the world will not be signing their 2018 employment contracts until the reform was approved.
Employees are obligated to sign a new contract every year, which is why such a mutiny is expected to create legal difficulties in continuing to operate Israel's embassies after the 2017 contracts expire.
Foreign Affairs Ministry employees protest in New York
Even if a legal solution was found to continue employing the protesters without valid contracts, the workers' union has already announced all diplomatic missions will be shut down completely starting January 1 if the reform was not approved.
"We will not longer be transparent. The state must make good on its commitment to us. We were promised a reform by the end of the year and won't stop until we get it. We're not asking to become rich, all we want is to make an honorable living in return for our work and dedication to the country we hold so dear. No reform, no contracts, no missions for Israel," the workers' union said.
