TEL AVIV, September 14, 2009 (WAFA)- Hundreds of heavy vehicles took part Monday morning in an Israeli strike that was launched on Sunday, in protest of plans to cut local authorities' budgets, Ynet reported Monday.
Garbage truck drivers, fire trucks, local authorities' vans and busses are trying to slow traffic on Israel's roads, and the Union for Local Authorities in Israel said clashes with police broke up in a number of locations.
The ULAI planned to protest outside the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem Monday morning, after the road demonstration.
Drivers drove at low speed in the direction of Jerusalem, in order to disrupt traffic. The ULAI said police detained trucks in Dimona and off Highway 1 near Holon.
The union also reported physical clashes between police and public servants at the Shapirim Interchange near Rehovot.
Police detained three trucks between Dimona and Beersheba, and forced the drivers to return to Dimona and prevented them from driving to Jerusalem.
The Israeli Traffic Police reported that the three trucks were asked to turn back so as not to disrupt traffic on the Jerusalem highway.
'They told them, 'Get off the road ad wait on the side' and they took their licenses from them,' said Avi Mor, of the Holon Municipality.
Local authority sources said, 'There is a feeling that they are trying to stop us from something that is very democratic,' Dimona Mayor Meir Cohen said.
'This is a licensed demonstration, but Jerusalem and the police are preparing as if the enemy has arrived. We will go and we will hold our demonstration in the appropriate manner, this is a protest of people that will be left without paychecks next month and have come to have their voices heard. It is a pity they are being treated this way. '
Meanwhile, the Israeli High Court heard a petition by the national parents union against the local authorities shutting down educational institutes as part of their strike.
Judges harshly criticized the strike's organizers, and Justice Edna Arbel told the union's representatives: 'In reality, it is the children who will ultimately be hurt from this story. It's the easiest thing to launch your struggle at the expense of the children, you who artificially tie your struggle with striking schools.'
During the hearing, the parents union's representative, Attorney Avraham Bar-Shalom argued the local authorities do not have the authority to strike schools, and said the parents were fed up with their children being used as pawns by the organization.
Attorney Enar Helman, representing the State said the ULAI should have turned to the High Court before launching its strike.
The judges demanded that ULAI representative Attorney Noa Ben Arieh clarify whether the strike was planned to continue after the holidays.
Ben Arieh argued that the services being suspended do not prevent schools from operating, and said 'We have not closed the educational institutes'.
ULAI's director told the judges, 'We reserve the right to continue with our strike'. At the end of the hearing the judges said a verdict would be given later on.
