A senior official in the Histadrut, Israel’s largest labor federation, was arrested overnight Sunday along with his wife and several other high-ranking figures in the organization, as part of a major corruption investigation that has shaken the country’s labor movement.
Police said the case, code-named “Hand in Hand,” involves some 350 individuals connected to workers’ committees across various sectors. Eight suspects have been detained and 27 others questioned under caution.
The probe also implicates Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David, one of the most powerful labor leaders in Israel. According to police suspicions, a prominent businessman within the federation used his influence to distribute jobs and appoint associates to key positions in labor unions, local authorities, public corporations, and government-owned companies.
Investigators believe the same individuals were also placed on company boards, raising concerns of systematic cronyism and conflicts of interest.
The case follows a two-year undercover investigation, which became public Monday with a wave of arrests and raids. Police carried out searches at 55 locations, including the suspects’ homes and several municipal offices across the country.
The detained suspects are expected to appear later today at the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court for remand hearings, as investigators expand the probe into what could become one of the most significant corruption cases to hit Israel’s public sector in recent years.