In an extraordinary letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of Israel’s trade union movement Ofer Eini has publicly called for Netanyahu to reign in ministers such as Naftali Bennett who have recently taken to using extreme language in their attacks on workers.

The letter, published on the Histadrut website in Hebrew is the strongest indication yet of growing impatience in the Israeli unions at the anti-union attitudes and policies of the Netanyahu government.

Eini begins by saying that since the formation of the government headed by Netanyahu a few months ago, we are witnessing an unprecedented, “wild” incitement by senior ministers against organized labour in Israel.

The Histadrut leader goes on to say that the trade unions have shown restraint in the face of these attacks — but that this has been difficult.

He writes that in recent weeks, it seems as if government ministers are competing with one another to see who can make the sharpest attacks on the unions. The “winner” was Bennett, who on his Facebook page compared port workers to ants, and said an exterminator was needed.

“The use of these expressions suits other regimes, in other countries, and crosses the line in a democracy,” writes Eini.

The Histadrut leader calls on Netanyahu to call Bennett and the others to order, and to publicly apologize on behalf of the entire government.