About 60,000 public servants in Israel have launched a strike, disrupting international flights and paralyzing land terminals, and seaports. The sanctions are in protest to planned cuts in the national budget.
The indefinite strike was called by Israel's Labor Federation, known as the Histradrut. It is intended to block an austerity budget under which some government offices will be abolished and thousands of workers will be fired.
Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion international airport has been badly affected by the strike. Customs staff introduced a go-slow policy of baggage inspections, examining every bag and suitcase of passengers entering Israel.
One airport employee was slightly injured during a brawl between passengers fighting for a place at the head of the line.
Customs workers also held up imports and exports into the country, before a planned general strike expected to begin Tuesday.