A strike by Israeli diplomats over salaries has hit preparations in Nepal for the world's biggest celebration of the Jewish Passover holiday as a container carrying supplies for the event is stuck in Kolkata.
The seder (a Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover), organised for the past 26 years by the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement in Kathmandu, Nepal, attracts about 2,000 backpackers, most of them Israelis travelling in the sub-continent, making it the biggest celebration anywhere in the world.
However, the feast this year is in jeopardy as all the supplies for the upcoming seder, sent in the container from Israel, are stuck at the Kolkata port and the foreign ministry staff has refused to get it released from customs.
The ministry's workers committee had earlier this week declared a full-fledged strike, shutting the ministry and all the country's embassies and consulates around the world for the first time.
The strike is the latest development in a nearly two-year dispute between foreign ministry employees and the finance ministry over demands for better salaries and work conditions.
Chezki Lifshitz, a religious emissary in Kathmandu leading the preparations for the festival, told Israeli daily Ha'aretz that he hopes that Foreign Ministry staff would make an exception in this case and break for their strike to allow the container to be delivered to its destination.
"There are thousands of Israelis in the midst of the Annapurna trek planning to celebrate the seder with us in Nepal," he wrote to the daily, referring to a popular hiking circuit in the country.
"As of now, the container is stuck in Calcutta, a distance of two-and-a-half days from Kathmandu. ... And we're trying to figure out other creative options," he said.
Yigal Palmor, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, in his response to the daily emphasised that the Passover seder in Kathmandu would "absolutely not take place."
"It is not at risk of being canceled. It will be canceled. What can we do? We're on strike," he said adding, "Chabad should take their complaints to the Finance Ministry".
Chabad, an organisation that promotes Judaism across the world, holds annual seders in many remote corners of the world that typically attract Israeli backpackers and travelers.
Despite the difficulties, Lifshitz has told local media that "We're not raising our hands yet" and that they are exploring all options to make it happen.
A number of high-profile visits to Israel have also been recently cancelled as a result of the strike.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned trip to Mexico, Colombia and Panama have been also postponed due to this deadlock.
