TEL AVIV (JTA) — Protesting 100 layoffs of its employees, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz suspended its daily edition for one day.
Employees of the paper did not produce its Thursday edition, protesting the refusal of the paper’s management to meet with representatives of the employees, according to the Times of Israel.
The paper is expected to resume publication on Friday, when Israeli papers print an expanded edition — akin to Sunday papers in the United States.
In an open letter in response to the printing freeze, Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken said the layoffs are a painful but necessary sacrifice to keep the paper running.
“In recent years I’ve made a huge effort to ensure Haaretz continues to exist and fulfill its unique role in Israeli society, in addition to being a reasonable place of employment,” wrote Schocken, according to the Times of Israel. “Keeping Haaretz alive requires harsh measures which made no one happy.”
The Israeli daily newspaper Maariv also is facing substantial layoffs due to declining revenue. Maariv’s employees have protested the measures.
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