From reading Bernard Bloomfield’s book, Israel Diary, it became clear that Louis and Bernard Bloomfield were closely associated with Histadrut, an Israeli labor union that at least one Israeli, Dr. Steven Plout (economics lecturer at the University of Haifa, in Israel), has recently accused of being Israel’s organized crime. The following is a synopsis of Histadrut as described in the Encyclopedia Britannica:
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Histadrut – English General Federation Of Labour, Israeli labour organization that includes workers in the cooperative and collective agricultural settlements as well as in most industries. Organized in 1920, Histadrut is the largest voluntary organization in Israel and the most important economic body in the state. Its activities extend beyond the traditional concerns of labour unions. Histadrut includes marketing and distribution agencies for consumer goods, materials, and equipment; a vast construction enterprise that builds settlements and public institutions; credit societies and banks; and trade unions and cooperative groups in every branch of work. The organization also deals with wage rates and working conditions in private industry. Histadrut conducts, on a cooperative basis and often in partnership with private investors, major industrial and public enterprises--e.g., irrigation, shipping, and mining. Its varied enterprises account for more than 20 percent of the national income. It is also responsible for a health service and a system of social insurance. Its educational and cultural activities include secondary and technical schools, a widespread system of adult education, theatre companies, and the publication of books, newspapers, and technical journals. Histadrut is administered by an executive bureau elected by an executive committee, which is in turn elected by convention delegates chosen by members. The organization's leadership was dominated by the Mapai Party, which in 1968 merged with other parties to form the Labour Party. Histadrut is affiliated with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. |
(Encyclopedia Britannica: Histadrut)
Following information about Histadrut was written by the Jewish Agency for Israel and The World Zionist Organization:
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The Histadrut – Founded in December, 1920 at the Haifa Technion, the Histadrut was created as a trade union which would organize the economic activities of Jewish workers. Attempts at such organization had been made previously, but had failed due to the insistence of certain political parties on maintaining their own services for their own members. Realizing that the perpetuation of rival trade unions was of course counter-productive, efforts were made to establish a non-partisan, non-political organization. The organization would run activities such as the consumers union, the sick fund, and the employment exchanges. It was out of these efforts that the Histadrut was born. The founding members were profoundly influenced by the Russian-Jewish socialist tradition characteristic of the second aliyah (1904-1914). They strongly believed in the continued building and settlement of Palestine, and were devoted to the revival of the Hebrew language and of Jewish culture. As strict socialists, they firmly believed that the representatives of the workers should not earn more than the workers themselves. The opening resolutions of the first Histadrut conference expressed their goals by stating: It is the aim of the United Federation of all the workers and laborers of Palestine who live by the sweat of their brows without exploiting the toil of others, to promote land settlement, to involve itself in all economic and cultural issues affecting labor in Palestine, and to build a Jewish workers' society there. In 1920, membership in the Histadrut numbered approximately 4,400. In 1922, 8,394 of the 16,608 workers in the country were members of the Histadrut. 75% of immigrants arriving in the country also became members. By 1927, the Histadrut claimed to serve 25,000 workers, encompassing 75% of the entire Jewish Palestine labor force. The Histadrut has maintained a powerful position in Israeli society since its inception. Its policies have been guided by its goals of achieving full employment as well as security of tenure for its workers. In its drive towards full employment, the Histadrut itself became the largest employer in Israel. Its existence as employer as well as defender of the worker makes the Histadrut the very complex and unique organization that it is. |
(Source: The Jewish Agency for Israel and The World Zionist Organization.)
In addition, Bernard Bloomfield (brother of Louis Bloomfield) mentioned Histradrut several times in his book, Israel Diary. Here are a few references:
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Today (April 1, 1949) we met Abba Hush, head of Histadrut in Haifa, to whom we had a letter. He promised to call on us next morning and show us around a bit. He also told us he would take us with him on Monday, April 11th, to observe the arrangement of a peace treaty he is making with an Arab tribe of Druses. He said it would be something we never saw before, and we very gladly accepted. It is one of those ceremonies in which they broil up a whole sheep and everyone eats from the same pot. They use no forks or knives and don’t care where the gravy drips. We are looking forward to it. Perhaps we should each buy a bib for the occasion. |
(B. Bloomfield, Israel Diary, p. 24)
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(Tel Aviv, Monday, April 4th, 1949) We went to the P.I.O. [Press Information Office] this morning. Assigned to us was a Captain Kurt Hamlet with a Chrysler and a driver. As a traveling companion we had a correspondent, Maurice Carr from Paris, a feature writer from Reuters, the London Jewish Chronicle, and the Toronto Star Weekly. We set off at 10:15 A.M. and went first to Onim, about eight miles north of Tel Aviv. This has been a children’s adoption center for the past year and a half. The Histadrut built it. We were shown through the place by the directress, Mrs. Leah Finkelstein, a fine, intelligent and sensitive woman, who has children of her own. The purpose of this center is to adapt newly arrived children to the country. Their ages range from four to fifteen. It is a difficult task, for they are confronted with all sorts of special conditions. Clever teachers must constantly watch over these children. … After seeing the beautiful grounds, we visited the kitchen, a marvel of modern metal fixtures and as clean as a whistle. We also saw the sleeping quarters, the swimming pool, the lovely flower gardens, and then left and drove a few miles over to Ramat Hakovesh, a kibbutz on the border of the triangle occupied by Iraqi troops. We met the head of the kibbutz, Ovadia Yosselovitch, a tall, rugged man with character written all over his face. He was in Montreal in 1946 and spoke at the Mount Royal Hotel, along with U.S. Senator Brewster, at a Histadrut dinner. He showed me the photograph of the affair taken at the time. |
(B. Bloomfield, Israel Diary, pp. 32 & 34)
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(Tel Aviv, Tuesday, April 5th, 1949) …Yesterday we went to Negev and got back late and very tired, as it is about one hundred twenty-five miles each way and the roads are not at all like the main highways in our part of the world! We assembled at the P.I.O. Building at 9 A.M. sharp. There was another guide assigned to us, a Captain Eliahu Shoresh, who in civilian life is a lawyer, a fellow of about forty. Although he was very decent, he was not as good as our previous guide, Hamlet, who was exceptionally communicative and gave us a lot of local color. Perhaps Shoresh wanted us to form our own impressions. There was in our party a young woman from Amsterdam, called Marguerite Roselaer, representing the newspaper Ury Nederland. The others were Lawrence Levenberg, of the Cleveland News, and Isidore Berger, a photographer, who does free-lance work and represents, among other things, the Histadrut Photo News. He is a Detroit lawyer. He is here doing a labor of love, and is totally immersed in his photography. He told me that people who are interested in photography look at the world as through a view-finder—seeing things as pictures and scenes, rather than looking aimlessly as most people do. Traveling along, I understood what he meant, and when a particularly nice shot appeared, I would nudge him and point it out. |
(B. Bloomfield, Israel Diary, pp. 41 & 42)