On 22 May, Histadrut members - Jewish and Arab - across Israel will vote to select the next leader of the country’s national trade union centre, the Histadrut.  The incumbent, Ofer Eini, launched his campaign last Wednesday at an event attended by thousands at a sports hall in Tel-Aviv.  Eini’s campaign slogan is ‘leadership with responsibility’ and he won the backing of the fiery Gila Edrei, head of the railway workers union, who spoke at the rally.

Eini’s main rival is Labour Party Knesset Member Eitan Cabel, who has won the backing not only of former Histadrut head Amir Peretz, but of the left-wing Meretz and Hadash (Communist) parties.