Foreign Ministry strike forces Israeli embassies to halt services

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A strike by Israeli Foreign Ministry employees has caused a halt to consular services at Israeli embassies and consulates in the United States and around the world.

“Due to a strike of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, until further notice, NO CONSULAR SERVICES WILL BE PROVIDED,” read a statement posted Sunday on the website of the consulate in New York.

Employees at the diplomatic missions will make exceptions for medical emergencies, adoptions and transporting bodies for burial.

Services for Israelis living abroad that have stopped being offered include for passports and visa, reports of Israeli births abroad and issues dealing with the Israel Defense Forces.

The halt in consular services is the latest salvo in a 3-month-old labor dispute.

Last week, Israeli diplomats abroad stopped preparing for visits to Israel by foreign leaders. A visit Sunday by a Hungarian minister had to be postponed.