In a significant development, Israeli police conducted a raid on the offices of the Histadrut, Israel’s oldest and most prominent labor union, labeling it as one of the largest public corruption scandals in the country’s history. The operation, carried out on Monday morning, led to the arrest of several senior union members, including its chairman, Arnon Bar-David. The individuals are suspected of involvement in bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. At the heart of the scandal is Ezra Gabay, an insurance agent who allegedly used his government connections to appoint Histadrut committee heads to positions in government companies in exchange for personal favors. Additionally, senior Histadrut officials are suspected of planning to sell some of the organization’s assets, worth millions of shekels, for personal profit. The investigation is expected to involve over 300 senior officials, including union heads from major institutions like El Al Airlines and the Jewish National Fund, as well as public officials and mayors. Culture Minister Miki Zohar, from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, is also set to be questioned due to his close ties with some of the suspects. The Histadrut, historically aligned with the left-wing Labor Party, has seen increasing influence from Likud in recent decades. The scandal has drawn criticism from various quarters, with the left-wing Hadash party accusing Bar-David of having direct ties with the government and supporting Netanyahu’s policies. Meanwhile, the Israeli parliament has given preliminary approval to a controversial bill aimed at limiting press freedom, sparking concerns about the erosion of democratic values. The bill, proposed by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, seeks to impose political control over broadcasting authorities and remove restrictions between commercial interests and news broadcasts. Critics, including opposition MPs, have likened the bill to tactics used by Viktor Orban in Hungary to suppress media freedom. In a separate development, Israeli journalist Almog Boker, known for his controversial statements about Gaza, received an award for excellence in media coverage, further fueling debates about media ethics and objectivity in Israel.