Fighting for Israel while fighting its government

When British newspapers speak of “militant” trade unionists, one suspects they don’t picture someone in an actual military uniform.

Most JC readers may recognise Kenton-born Peter Lerner from their television screens where he served as the IDF’s spokesperson – including serving 355 days in reserve duty shortly after October 7.

Peter Lerner (left) with former IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari (Image: X)[Missing Credit]

But the 51-year-old – a 25-year veteran of the IDF who was educated at Sinai Jewish Primary School and made Aliyah in 1985 – has also spent the last six years working for the Histadrut, the federation of labour in Israel, currently serving as its director of International Relations.

The Histadrut, which represents around 800,000 workers has conducted two general strikes in the last two years “over the judicial reforms that that the government tried to advance” and the treatment of hostage families by ministers.

For Lerner, though, there is no contradiction between taking to the streets to protest the government and donning the uniform to defend their actions to the international media: “That's the power of Israel's democracy. When you are dependent on a reservist military, then the ability to voice your opinion on the streets as a civilian is important”.

Peter Lerner at an anti-government protest (Image: X)[Missing Credit]

Although he was quite literally the person defending Israel’s conduct of the war from the probing questions of the international media, he has choice words for some of Israel’s politicians who, he claims, make the job of championing its cause a lot harder.

“I think there's a lack of strategy, structure and leadership”, he said as he criticised “politicians and ministers saying absurd things have no connection to reality except for ‘this is my gut feeling’”.

Peter Lerner on Sky News (Image: YouTube)[Missing Credit]

“It's not translated into policy, not translated into ideas or actions, not translated into anything, except airing thoughts. That's detrimental to the war effort of getting rid of Hamas”, he added.

Lerner is particularly scathing of Israel Katz – now defence minister – who, shortly after October 7, boasted about cutting off electricity to Gaza in his then-role as energy minister.

“In fact, on October 7, Hamas fired so many rockets that nine out of 10 lines feeding Gaza with electricity were cut off because of the rockets – not because of Israel. So why do you need to make a stupid statement that automatically translates into ‘they're cutting off the electricity to all the hospitals’?”, asked Lerner.

He also accused prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not showing sufficient leadership when it comes to instilling message discipline in his ministers, which he claims is detrimental to Israel’s international reputation: “You can't have a minister say this, and you need to call him in and say, 'This is wrong. This doesn't help us. It undermines us'.”

Lerner was exasperated by Netanyahu’s latest embrace of Trumpian rhetoric – talking about a “deep state” of officials apparently out to thwart the government – which the trade unionist described as a “ridiculous statement… designed to serve his political interests”.

“There's no 'deep state' in Israel,” Lerner continued. “Until today, we haven't got a clear view of what the government intends for the day after Hamas.”

“Saying that there is a ‘deep state’ and not stepping up to your responsibility, I think that is the core problem and not some fake idea or that has been adopted from American politics and inserted into Israeli politics”, he added.

But, despite the criticism of the government, there was no way Lerner would have refused to participate in the defence of his country from Hamas terrorists.

“I had to do something for my family. I had to do something for my community. Had to do something for the Israel that I see myself part of”, he said, adding that he was proud to don his uniform in what he described as “probably the most challenging circumstances”.

He is frustrated, however, at his trade union comrades from across the world – including in the UK – and their inability to distinguish between the Israeli government and the Israeli people fighting against an Islamist terrorist organisation.

While some trade unions seek to boycott Israel, he is calling for more meaningful dialogue: “How do we solve problems, not just pay our lip service?”

Peter Lerner at a trade union conference (Image: X)[Missing Credit]

“I think there's a huge misunderstanding, and in some cases, even unions being hijacked by the fringes of the left and them dictating the issues and terms”, he went on.

“If you push for recognition of Palestine as an independent state without considering what the negative ramifications of that in the region are … what does it actually mean for the moderates in the region where they will see the radicals like Hamas being given a prize for their actions on the October 7?”

“That's the debate that needs to happen. We're open, I'm happy to speak to anybody and everybody and to discuss it”, he declared, but added he was saddened that there hadn’t been a single British trade union delegation to Israel since that black Saturday.

“To understand why the response is so drastic, Israel maintains that Hamas has to go. And any decent person needs to come to that conclusion… let's talk about how we get there, and that's what we need to be talking about.”

Lerner himself visited the UK last week with Britain-Israel Trade Union Dialogue (BITUD) to have some of those conversations with trade union leaders.

The situation isn’t all doom and gloom, though. He was heartened by seeing Paul Nowak, the Trades Union Congress’s General Secretary, talk about the plight of Israelis on October 7 and call for hostages to be released, while giving a speech to Palestinian trade unionists.

Lerner said: “I think that is really, really, important…it's a voice that needs to be heard. For it to be effective, I think we would have to have the Palestinian PGFTU (the Palestinian trade union) echo that same type of message. That hasn't happened.”

Indeed, before October 7, he maintains that the Histadrut had a better relationship with the PGFTU than with some British trade unions.

He explained: “October 7 changed that a bit because the PGFTU took a stance, which is also being amplified in some of the unions around the world, of omitting October 7.

“And if October 7 never happened and everything else that happens after October 7 in the war, without relating to that, then there's a basic level of humanity that is missing in the conversation.”

According to Lerner, what is marginalised by international trade union extremism is the very group of people unions were founded to represent: the workers.

“We need a conversation about what's important for the workers first of all, and then the conversation about on the broader issues of what is the best for the region,” he added.

The lack of focus on the basics of supporting Israeli and Palestinian workers – instead choosing more grandiose statements that they have no control over – isn’t helping anyone.

“By saying, ‘let's recognise Palestine as a state’, you're empowering the extreme right, which have huge influence today in the Israeli government in Israel, and you're empowering the extremists, the Palestinian terrorists and Hamas that say, we've got something out of October 7.”