Israeli defence officials urge PM to end FM strike

Israeli Defense officials urged the prime minister to end a three-month strike by the foreign ministry workers which, they charge, is hurting the country's national security, the Ha'aretz daily reported Monday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs workers have been on a strike since March against cuts on their salaries and what they see as the "dismantling" of the ministry as it is currently headed by no one. Following the Jan.-22 elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not appoint a foreign minister, wanting to keep the post open for Avigdor Lieberman, a former foreign minister on trial charged with fraud and breach of trust. According to the report on Ha'aretz, Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, Shin Bet Security Agency chief Yoram Cohen and Director General of the Defense Ministry Udi Shani all met with Netanyahu on Thursday to press him to take steps to end the strike. For three months, the foreign ministry workers has been refusing to issue passports, process cable communication between foreign missions and arrange trips for diplomats. Moreover, some of Israel's military and defense attaches overseas are waiting for replacement, but to no avail due to the strike, which is hampering Israel's military and diplomatic ties with other countries. Last week, Shani sent an urgent letter to Netanyahu, asking him to intervene and end the strike. According to a report on the Times of Israel website, Shani wrote that the strike has "severely hindered the process of replacing military and defense attaches in more than 10 countries. " Moreover, tensions have mounted between the foreign minister workers and the defense establishments as the latter took over the arrangements for Netanyahu's visit to Poland this week. They were accused by the foreign ministry workers of breaking their strike. The striking workers are planning to march to the Knesset ( parliament) in Jerusalem on Tuesday when a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee will be held.