The economic shutdown forced on Israelis by the left-leaning nationwide Histadrut Labor Union in solidarity with opposition leaders and protest organizers has already begun to damage the state’s tourism industry.
The national Histadrut Labor Union that ordered Monday’s nationwide strike estimated the “day of paralysis” will cost the Israeli economy about NIS 2.5 billion, according to a report by Ynet.
About one third of the country’s four million salaried workers joined the anarchists’ strike on Monday, along with self-employed Israelis. “The cost of a complete shutdown of the Israeli economy for an entire day is approximately NIS 5.8 billion,” according to according to the data from economic offices and estimates of economic institutions and economists in Israel cited by Ynet.
“If the strike continues tomorrow, many organizations are expected to join and the cost will skyrocket,” the Histadrut warned.
The Israel Hotel Association reported a wave of cancellations of reservations on Monday by individual foreign tourists and business people who were planning to stay in the nation’s hotels, primarily in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, due to the current anarchy.
In addition, some 35,000 passengers who were set to depart Israel via Ben Gurion International Airport are being forced to remain in the Jewish State due to the anarchists’ shutdown of the airport.
An average of 24 flights per hour were being delayed during the day, in addition to cancellation of flights to Israel by Etihad, Brussels, United Airlines, Air Canada and Wizz airlines. A number of Israeli passengers were stuck in London without knowing when or how they would get back to Israel, due to the strike.
Some 70,000 to 73,000 were scheduled to pass through Ben Gurion International Airport on Monday, including about half who were set for departures.
