Israeli embassies around the world shuttered on Wednesday as diplomats and military attachés launched a massive strike over expense stipends paid to envoys.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The long-simmering dispute came to a head after Israel's Finance Ministry allegedly backtracked on previous agreements and demanded envoys pay back thousands of dollars for reimbursed expenses.
Diplomats and security officials reportedly coordinated the strike with the Histadrut labor federation and various government agencies to ensure there would be minimal disruptions.
"Due to the decision of the Israeli Ministry of Finance to breach understandings that were agreed upon and signed on July 21, 2019 ... we are forced to close this embassy," a Foreign Ministry statement placed on various embassy compounds read.
Jerusalem anticipates that the move will hurt Israelis abroad with issues such as lost passports or medical emergencies. Defense cooperation with foreign governments will also likely be harmed along with arms exports.
Diplomats have had a long-simmering dispute with Israel's Finance Ministry over reimbursements https://t.co/QuUJtJ5jJ6
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) October 30, 2019
This article was originally published by i24NEWS.
