Police Arrest Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David, Labor Officials in Major Corruption Probe By The Media Line Staff Israel Police carried out a sweeping corruption operation early Monday, arresting senior officials from the Histadrut labor federation, including its chairman, Arnon Bar-David. The investigation targets what authorities describe as an extensive bribery and fraud network involving local […]
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The Media Line: Police Arrest Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David, Labor Officials in Major Corruption Probe
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Police Arrest Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David, Labor Officials in Major Corruption Probe
By The Media Line Staff
Israel Police carried out a sweeping corruption operation early Monday, arresting senior officials from the Histadrut labor federation, including its chairman, Arnon Bar-David. The investigation targets what authorities describe as an extensive bribery and fraud network involving local governments, public corporations, and the country’s largest labor union.
The arrests, conducted at dawn, followed two years of undercover work by police and tax investigators. Raids were carried out at dozens of sites across the country, including municipal offices, major companies, and private residences. According to law enforcement sources, more than 400 individuals were detained or questioned, among them officials from Rishon Lezion, Harish, Kiryat Bialik, Rosh HaAyin, and Ashdod. Executives from El Al Airlines, Israel Railways, the Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), and the Wingate Institute were also taken into custody.
Investigators say the case centers on an alleged exchange of jobs and favors, where senior Histadrut figures and businesspeople arranged lucrative appointments in return for financial benefits. Police described the scheme as a “give and take” system in which political and corporate connections were exploited for mutual gain.
Bar-David, who also owns a private insurance company, is suspected of using his position to secure clients from government bodies and public institutions by offering influence in job placements. Reports said he was detained alongside his partner during coordinated raids at around 6 a.m.
The Histadrut represents roughly 800,000 Israeli workers, including employees in the public sector, municipalities, and key industries. Its headquarters in Tel Aviv were among the sites searched as part of the operation.
Police said in a statement that the covert probe focused on “senior officials within the Histadrut, local authorities, and public companies suspected of receiving bribes and benefits from business figures in exchange for advancing their interests and generating financial gain.”
No formal charges have yet been filed. As of Monday evening, investigators continued questioning suspects while searching offices and seizing documents. The operation marks one of the most extensive corruption investigations involving Israel’s labor establishment in recent years.