The president of the Industrialists Union, Shraga Brosh, referred to the closing of Haifa Chemicals.
"This is a sad day for Israeli industry. There are solutions which would allow the continued existence of the factory and the employment of its thousands of workers. It is unthinkable that in a proper country there should not be a consistent supply of ammonia which is such a vital raw material for so many different industries.
"At present the entire chemicals industry, a highly advanced industry which exports hundreds of millions of dollars worth, is in danger. My heart is with the workers, who will be forced to lose their jobs because of the state's incompetence and because of cheap populism."