Violence against Israeli border control officers at Ben Gurion Airport and land crossings is on the rise, prompting a formal warning from the country’s State Employees Union (Histadrut). Last week, the union sent a letter to the Population and Immigration Authority and the Airports Authority demanding immediate action to curb the assaults, warning that workers may strike and even shut down border crossings.
Union chair Ophir Elkallai and Shani Shabatov, head of the workers’ council at the Population and Immigration Authority, told Ynet that border officers have been “abandoned” to deal with escalating aggression. According to them, officers are assaulted daily by passengers denied entry to or exit from Israel and have no tools or training to handle such situations.
The problem is not new. Previous threats of strikes have centered on poor wages, staffing shortages and unsafe working conditions—especially the lack of protection against violent travelers.
“Border officers are devoted public servants protecting Israel’s borders,” said Elkallai. “For a long time, they’ve been left to fend for themselves. We've warned about this repeatedly and even conducted tours with the Airports Authority CEO at Ben Gurion, Allenby Bridge and the Jordan River border crossing in the north. These are excellent people risking their safety daily, and we won’t accept that anymore.”
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When asked if violence is a daily occurrence, Shabatov responded, “Every day. We never know how our shift will end. Our staffing has been cut, passenger numbers are growing and we’re under daily attack without tools or means of protection.
“In May, there was a policy update outlining our authority—but we still haven’t received the tools we need. No training, no preparation, nothing. They only started installing emergency buttons now. We’re completely exposed.”
Who are the attackers?
“Mainly those we deny entry to or prevent from leaving the country,” said Shabatov. “These are not regular travelers—they’re people flagged for various reasons, including security. We stand between them and their goal and we stand alone.”
Shabatov called for formal recognition of border inspection as a professional field: “Border control is a profession and recognizing it means providing proper work conditions and the tools we need.
“This role originated in the police, where we had regular training, equipment and support. Today, border officers have no protections and the number of staff doesn’t match the growing number of passengers.”
Will you strike?
Elkallai said the letter was the first step and that the union is giving the authorities a few weeks to begin negotiations: “If there’s serious engagement, we won’t escalate. But if not, we’ll take the necessary steps, including a strike.
“We haven’t set a date yet, but we’re ready to act with the full backing of Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David. Our goal is to end the violence and the neglect of the officers who serve the citizens of Israel.”
First published: 15:36, 06.12.25