Cabel vows to win Histadrut leadership

Candidate for chairmanship of Histadrut labor federation says he wants to make the union Israel’s main ‘social organization.’

By BEN HARTMAN
Eitan Cabel 298 (photo credit: Channel 10)
Eitan Cabel 298
(photo credit: Channel 10)
The Histadrut labor federation must become the country’s leading social organization and fight against the system that worsens social gaps, candidate for Histadrut chairman Eitan Cabel said on Wednesday.
“In our Histadrut there won’t be contract workers; everyone will be workers with full rights. There won’t be piggishness, only social justice,” Cabel said, adding that the union will “fight against the cost of living, the social gaps, the astronomical executive salaries and will, no less importantly, provide a positive example to the public.”
Cabel attempted to draw a straight line between his faction and the social divide facing Israelis, which he said is “more dangerous than Hamas rockets or Iranian missiles.”
The Labor MK’s statements came at a rally held by his “Social House” faction on Wednesday night, a week before he goes against Histadrut chairman Ofer Eini in elections to select the next head of the national labor federation.
The event – held at the Tel Aviv Rowing Center – was kinder, gentler and much smaller than the rally held by Eini’s “Ogenim” faction in late March, a show of force which left a cavernous hall at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds shaking as thousands of supporters shouted “Eini, Eini.”
Cabel’s supporters include former Histadrut head and defense minister Amir Peretz, as well as the Meretz and Hadash parties, and Histadrut activists who broke off from the Likud party.
At the event on Wednesday night it was easy to see the difference between Cabel’s supporters and those who came to back Eini in late March. Cabel’s crowd included Meretz and Hadash MKs, and a large number of familiar faces from the summer’s social justice protests.
Cabel called on his supporters to resist Eini’s “rule of fear” and come to the polls on May 22 to change the Histadrut for good, before exiting the stage to the tune of Eyal Golan’s “He who believes is not afraid.”