Israeli embassies suspend consular activities

The work stoppage began yesterday the Foreign Service Workers’ Association, the union representing the diplomatic corps said.
Ambassador of Israel to Nigeria, Mr. Uriel Palti, was on Tuesday seen in casual wear in Abuja as Israeli diplomats shut down embassies in continuation of their worldwide strike over working conditions.
The ambassador according to the embassy have not been attending to consular matters for some days now and will go on like that till the strike ends
“Israel’s diplomats will no longer engage with foreign representatives, take care of official visits of any kind, either in Israel or overseas, issue visas or provide any consular services,” the union said yesterday.
“This is just part of an extended list of organisational measures which will take effect immediately.”
Notices of the work stoppage are posted on embassy and consulate websites.
It’s not yet clear how long the strike may last or how it may impact religious pilgrims heading to Israel next month for Passover or Easter.
On the strike’s effect on the Easter pilgrimage exercise, the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) said it will not affect them because they get their visas for pilgrims directly from Israel.
The NCPC spokesman Mr. Celestine Toruka said this during a telephone interview with our reporter yesterday.