The Blades Technology Company plant in Nahariya, one of the oldest industrial symbols in the Western Galilee, is expected to close within a few weeks. Walla has learned that following negotiations between the company's management and employee representatives, it was decided to keep operations active in two departments, and therefore the number of employees to be laid off will currently stand at approximately 450.

The atmosphere at the site is difficult and the employees are angry about being ignored. "Suddenly they remembered us, when nothing can be done anymore," employees said. "In the past, we turned to several ministers and reached the Knesset Finance Committee, but we received no help or response," says the chairman of the Blades Technology Company workers' union, Rokon Said. "What is true, however, is that the owners and the Histadrut are doing everything in their power to help the employees, through courses that will provide them with education and certifications, guidance in resume writing, and a job fair. The closing date of the Nahariya site will most likely be before August."

The American giant Pratt & Whitney announced yesterday the completion of the closure, and simultaneously began delivering layoff letters to the remaining employees at the site. This brings to an end a struggle that has lasted for nearly four years since the intention to cease operations was first announced.

The decision was made back in December 2022. At the time, Pratt & Whitney, which acquired control of the company founded by industrialist Stef Wertheimer, announced its intention to close the site due to financial losses and a decline in global demand for jet engine blades. At the time, the company estimated that the closure would be completed during 2025, but in practice, the site continued to operate even after the original target date.

Its establishment is credited to the industrialist Stef Wertheimer, who founded Blades Technology Company in 1968, shortly after the Six–Day War. The purpose of its establishment was to manufacture jet engine components in Israel, after the French embargo prevented their purchase from abroad. Over the years, the site became one of the central industrial hubs in the north and employed generations of workers from the Western Galilee. Later, Pratt & Whitney became a partner in the venture, and in 2014 acquired Wertheimer's share.

Despite the economic justifications presented with the announcement of the closure, the global reality changed. The war in Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East increased the demand for spare parts for fighter jets and military aviation systems, which allowed operations to continue longer than planned. However, the company has now decided to complete the move.

The Manufacturers' Association claims that the erosion of the dollar exchange rate, alongside the rising cost of inputs and the increase in production costs in Israel, accelerated the closure process and made it difficult to continue local operations.

The closure is a severe blow to the employment market in Nahariya and the entire Western Galilee. For nearly three years, the city and neighboring communities have been dealing with a complex security reality against the backdrop of fighting on the northern border, and now a significant blow to a major source of livelihood in the region is joined as well. Among the workers, there are also many from the Druze villages in the Western Galilee, so the consequences of the move are expected to be felt far beyond the boundaries of Nahariya.