Israel’s factories grind to a halt as foreign technicians refuse to come

Israeli manufacturers are facing significant disruptions as foreign technicians are increasingly unwilling to travel to Israel for machinery installation, maintenance, and repair. This issue, highlighted by a Tnuva cottage cheese shortage due to equipment malfunction, affects nearly all sectors, including steel, plastics, and food. Reasons cited for the reluctance include Israel's classification as a war zone, leading to insurance difficulties, and labor unions in countries like Italy refusing to allow members to travel.

• Dr. Ron Tomer, former president of the Manufacturers Association of Israel, noted that some factories are improvising, with one spending two months installing a 20 million shekel machine remotely with German guidance. He stated, "This is an insane crisis that the Foreign Ministry must address."
• Shmuel Donnerstein of Rav-Bariach Group described the situation as "catastrophic," with a new glass-processing plant delayed because Italian technicians are not coming, and attempts to bring technicians from Colombia were blocked by immigration authorities.
• Tzuri Dabush of Klil reported a new packaging line, purchased for millions, remains in crates because technicians are waiting for the security situation to calm down, stating, "The technicians were supposed to install the new line, which we have no experience operating, and to this day it has not been installed because they are waiting for the security situation to calm down."
• Avraham Novogrotzky, president of the Manufacturers Association, observed "machines that are simply shut down" across factories, emphasizing the need for training Israeli teams as a long-term solution.