University of Haifa, Tel Aviv University, and Hebrew University of Jerusalem have both declared their intentions to join the strike organized by hostage families slated for Sunday, August 17.
“I intend to join the strike, primarily to show solidarity with the pain of the hostages and their families,” Professor Ariel Porat, president of Tel Aviv University, wrote in his message to faculty and students on Monday. “My belief is that our leaders have not given due weight to the moral imperative of freeing the hostages, who were abandoned by the State of Israel on October 7.”
“May the voices of the hostages and their families be heard, and reach the hearts of those who can act to bring them back,” his message ended.
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in a letter to students and faculty on Tuesday, also showed its intention to join the strike. "We, the members of the university's leadership, deans, and department heads, hereby announce that on Sunday, each and every one of us will participate in a personal strike as a profound expression of solidarity with the hostage families."
"We will not stand by," the letter went on. "We call on the Israeli government to do whatever is necessary, including halting the war, to bring back the hostages now."
University of Haifa echoed the words in a Tuesday statement: “All employees are free to act according to their conscience and discretion,” adding that any faculty members who take part in the strike will not have their salary deducted for being absent.
"The university encourages staff members to express solidarity with the hostages and their families, including with the family of Inbar Hayman, who studied at the university, was murdered, and whose body is still in Gaza’s tunnels," University of Haifa concluded.
Hayman, a 27-year-old student of Visual Communications at Haifa, was abducted from Re’im by Hamas on October 7. In December 2023, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum announced that she had been killed in captivity following IDF confirmation.
Hayman is the only woman currently being held by Hamas.
In a letter to its student body and staff the Open University of Israel stated that it too would be joining the strike, urging all to join and stand alongside the hostage families.
The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology will be joining the strike as well, allowing faculty and students to attend with no repreccusions, though exams scheduled for Sunday will still be taking place.
The Israel Bar Association has also announced its intention to join the Sunday strike. “We call on law firms and the general public in Israel to act in the same manner on this important day,” Amit Becher, Chairman of the Association, post to X/Twitter.
Additionally, Israel’s Hi-Tech Forum will also be taking part in the strike. The Forum includes companies such as Wix, Fiverr, Honeybook, Mint Media, Fireblocks, BigID, and venture capital funds such as Qumra Capital, Disruptive, and NFX.
"We are at a fateful moment in the story of the Israeli nation, and we do not intend to sit idly by,” the Forum stated.
Education Minister Yoav Kisch said in response to university presidents, "You must offset salaries for lecturers and faculty members who will go on strike - I will take action against any institution that does not do so."
Histadrut says they will not participate in strike
The Histadrut labor federation, which represents 800,000 workers in Israel, decided on Monday that it would not be joining the strike, after a meeting between Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David, senior business sector leaders, and representatives of the hostage families.
“If I knew that a strike, not just for one day but longer, would resolve the issue – stop the war and bring back the hostages – I would go for it with all my strength. Unfortunately, and despite my heart bursting with frustration, it is not feasible,” Bar-David said.
However, though the Histadrut would not be officially joining the strike, Bar-David called on management and worker committees to allow any staff who wishes to join the strike to do so.