"We need to hold elections, and if [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu thinks he needs to run again, that's his business. If I were Bibi, I wouldn't run again for the elections," said Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David in an interview with Maariv.
"We need to hold the elections, so that the people have their say on what has been happening since the war. Elections need to be held, and if Netanyahu thinks he needs to run again, that's his business. If I were Bibi, I wouldn't run again for the elections," he told Maariv.
According to him, "We must restart the country. I hear about it on all the tours I do. I am impressed by the civic activity and the partnerships and friendships we are all looking for. There is a real desire for unity and not division. Unfortunately, there are political elements that continue to divide, and this can only be stopped through elections. We will build a country with a new non-partisan politics."
Not using coalition funds for the war effort is a scandal
In response to a question about the decision to continue distributing the coalition funds, he said: "This is a scandal. We continue to play yesterday's politics. The country has changed completely since the war. The government is not being run properly. The people see what is happening, and the politicians will pay the price. There was an opportunity to create real change here in the order of priorities, harness the budget for the war effort, and postpone the coalition funds to another date. Every shekel for the war effort is important. In the end, the people will judge this disgrace."
He also said: "People understand that things are being done here that should not be done. Unnecessary offices need to be abolished, and the money directed to the war effort. We must show that we are broadcasting a change in priorities. In the meantime, we continue with petty politics and it drives me crazy."
Bar-David rejects the claims that state and public sector employees did not sacrifice themselves for the greater good.
"All public sector workers have mobilized for the burden of the war and are working 24/7," he said. "The local authorities have been working around the clock since the beginning of the war. All government companies are partly working under fire. The entire public sector is definitely sharing the burden, and we are doing our part. When the government does its part and starts talking about real cuts, who will come talk to us?"
Regarding the Finance Ministry's compensation plan, he said: "I initially attacked the plan, but today [I see it] is reasonable. But if the war accelerates and we return to the period of the first two weeks of October, the plan should be expanded. Although the plan is reasonable, it should be measured by the effectiveness of the implementation."
According to Bar-David, "We made sure to improve the conditions of unpaid leave and we also changed it in the regulations and legislation. Today there is also a mechanism that provides compensation to employers, although it is also not perfect. This is the maximum that can be spent during the period in question. The economy is starting to recover and even during the war, factories and industry worked, including the public sector."