01/05/2026
As we examine Israel’s labor market in 2026, an alarming picture emerges. In recent years our sense of security has been deeply shaken, including in the world of work. With elections approaching, it is already evident that the issues of social justice, employment and economic security, workers’ rights, reducing inequality, and combating exploitation will not be at the forefront. When the guns roar, political parties in Israel fall silent.
Racism is no longer on the margins—it is pervasive. What began as inflammatory rhetoric has escalated into physical violence. Social media is flooded with disturbing footage: teenagers assaulting a Palestinian sanitation worker from East Jerusalem; a TikTok “trend” encouraging attacks on migrant workers on their way to work; and the shocking murder of Yemanu Binyamin Zelka, who was killed after confronting youths rioting at his workplace. These incidents lie along the same horrifying spectrum—each rooted in dehumanization that turns workers into targets of violence, contempt, and humiliation.
This reality is not accidental. The treatment of workers as commodities has deep roots, but recent developments have intensified the trend. Since October 7, 2023, the State of Israel has promoted the recruitment of migrant workers on an unprecedented scale. What was initially framed as a “solution” to the ban on Palestinian workers has set in place a broader process: the replacement of already vulnerable groups in the labor market—Arab citizens of Israel, Ethiopian Israelis, immigrants from the former Soviet Union, older workers, contract workers, and hourly workers—with even more vulnerable populations who are easier to exploit. Calls to expand this model into additional sectors continue to grow.
This is not a legitimate economic policy—it is institutional racism in disguise.
This May 1, we call on you to stand with us: to support the struggle against these injustices and to help raise awareness.
We demand that political parties place the protection of workers and the defence of their rights at the centre of the public agenda in the upcoming elections—and take clear, concrete action to promote anti-racism, solidarity, justice, and social equality.
