Yossi Wasserman, chairman of the Histadrut teachers union, has offered to mediate between the government and the rival Teachers' Organization union in an effort to end the six-week-old strike. Two different unions represent Israel's teachers, and the current strike does not include members of the Histadrut.

Wassermann's offer came at the same time that Finance Minister Ronnie Bar-On and Education Minister Yuli Tamir (Labor) turned to the Labor Court to issue a back-to-work order to the teachers. The teachers' union argued before the court that it has no authority to force them back to work.