Presidential Korean visit halted due to foreign ministry strikes

The union of Foreign Ministry workers threatened to prevent the planned visit of President Reuven Rivlin to South Korea, undoing a major diplomatic achievement.

President Reuven Rivlin speaking at the Western Wall on Israel's 2019 Memorial Day  (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
President Reuven Rivlin speaking at the Western Wall on Israel's 2019 Memorial Day
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
The union of foreign ministry workers released a letter announcing preparations are underway to halt the planned visit of President Reuven Rivlin to South Korea Maariv reported on Friday. 
 
“It is with a heavy heart we must prepare to halt the preparations of the foreign office [to arrange] the visit of the president in Korea, nearly after a decade in which no such visit took place between these two countries,” the letter said.  
 
The union is currently protesting a planned cut in what is known as “budgets or representation.” These are the sums devoted to the hosting of Israeli state officials overseas and holding receptions at the homes of Israeli ambassadors around the world. 
 
The union is not alone; the unions of workers at the Ministry of Defense and the Finance Ministry had also protested the planned cuts.