Per reports, the official, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, is suspected of election-bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
A senior figure in a local authority in central Israel was detained upon arrival at Ben-Gurion Airport early Tuesday morning, as part of the sprawling corruption investigation surrounding the Histadrut labor federation.
Per reports, the official, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, is suspected of election-bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, and had been abroad, with the investigation team awaiting his return to Israel to question him.
Law enforcement in the past has described the case as one of the largest public corruption affairs ever handled.
The probe centres on alleged quid-pro-quo relationships involving the Histadrut leadership – notably chairman Arnon Bar-David, along with senior figures in the union, in concert with businessmen and local-authority insiders.
The scheme purportedly involved a major insurance agent, Ezra Gabay, who is alleged to have arranged jobs and transfers of workers from municipal or government-owned entities into his own insurance agency, in exchange for influence over key appointments.
Arnon Bar-David, Chairman of the Histadrut, speaks at a press conference attended by heads from the Israeli commerce sector attend a press conference at the Histadrut Union in Tel Aviv on March 27, 2023 (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)
Bar-David is suspected of having received funds and benefits from Gabay, who in turn allegedly leveraged his ties with the Histadrut and the Likud to push through favorable outcomes.
The investigation involved more than 300 individuals
The investigation involved more than 300 individuals and multiple public-sector bodies, with raids conducted earlier this month, on November 3, 2025, and Bar-David’s detention was extended by the court.
The Histadrut, founded in 1920, has long played a powerful role in Israeli politics, labor relations, and public-sector employment. Its centrality makes any corruption case involving it highly significant.
The involvement of municipal officials may suggest that the network of alleged wrongdoing might extend beyond the union’s internal structures: jobs, appointments, and transfers from local government or state-owned corporations may have been channeled into the insurance agency run by Gabay, in exchange for influence.
Investigators are expected to continue questioning dozens of suspects, collecting financial documents, records of transfers, and approvals of personnel changes. Bar-David’s legal team maintains that payments received from Gabbai were loans, not bribes.
Meanwhile, the detained senior local authority executive will be brought to a hearing soon to determine whether his remand will be extended.