JERUSALEM – Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has asked the country’s attorney-general to submit an urgent request to courts to block a planned nationwide strike on Sept 2 that aims to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to bring back Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.

       In his letter to Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, Mr Smotrich argued that a strike had no legal basis since it aimed to improperly influence significant policy decisions of politicians on issues related to state security.

       He also said that a broad strike – which would shut down the country including outgoing flights – had significant economic consequences, which would cause unnecessary economic damage in wartime.

       The call for a one-day general strike by Mr Arnon Bar-David, whose Histadrut union represents hundreds of thousands of workers, was backed by Israel’s main manufacturers and entrepreneurs in the high-tech sector. The stoppage would begin at 6am local time (11am Singapore time).

       There was no immediate response from Mr Baharav-Miara. REUTERS