All embassies and consulates of Israel had not opened on Wednesday due to a strike. The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem referred to a dispute with the Ministry of Finance, but did not give exact details. The Times of Israel reported that all diplomatic representations in the world were affected.
According to the Union of Foreign Office employees, the Ministry of Finance plans to tax previously tax-free salary supplements for assignees. A commitment for financial compensation had been withdrawn.
The Ministry of Finance made a statement stating that Foreign Ministry staff would have to pay taxes like all Israeli citizens. They are "not above the law," it said.
"Unfortunately, the Ministry of Finance has left us no choice"
The Israeli Embassy in Berlin wrote on Twitter the following night: "We work every day to promote the status and strength of the State of Israel, but unfortunately the Ministry of Finance has left us no choice as it is an essential institution of the State of Israel Power sets. " There is no service offered, entering the embassy is not allowed.
4 / We work every day to promote the status and strength of the State of Israel. Unfortunately, the Treasury has left us no choice as it overrides an essential institution of the state of Israel.
We hope that the matter will be resolved soon.
Already in July, around 40 Israeli ambassadors and consuls recommended a strike in all Israeli diplomatic missions around the world for massive cutbacks in their budgets. The falling status of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and "the aggressive cuts in the operational budget of Israel's representations worldwide" no longer allowed state officials to do their job professionally, a letter to the responsible foreign ministry committee said.
As early as 2014, more than a hundred Israeli embassies around the world had gone on strike over a wage-wage dispute - the first time ever, as the ministry confirmed at the time.
