Mass protests in Israel; 100,000 Israelis on the streets

Sun Jul 31, 2011 3:56 pm » by **Freeyourmindnow**

More than 100,000 Israelis have taken to the streets nationwide to protest rising housing prices in the largest turnout since the grass-roots demonstrations began two weeks ago.

The protests over housing costs have tapped into wider discontent among Israelis over the high cost of living and the growing gaps between rich and poor.

Other protests include doctors striking over working conditions and pay, parents demonstrating against expensive child rearing costs and similar outpourings over increasing gas prices.

Tens of thousands thronged the streets of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other major cities on Saturday and chanted, "The people demand social justice."

Protesters waved Israeli flags and placards that read: "work 3 jobs but don't make ends meet", "killing ourselves to live" and "social gaps are killing us".

Micky Rosenfeld, the police spokesman, said over 100,000 people protested in 10 cities across the country on Saturday night - from Beersheba in the south to Kiryat Shmoneh at the northern tip of the country.

Police said some 50,000 marched in coastal Tel Aviv, and 10,000 in northern Haifa, and major streets were closed for the protesters to march.

Tent cities

The demonstrations began two weeks ago in Tel Aviv, where young activists set up a small tent encampment in a central neighbourhood to draw attention to the country's housing crunch.

The protests, inspired in part by unrest in neighbouring Arab countries, have continued to gain steam and show no signs of slowing.

"This is a great success; people are marching in the streets and living in the streets for the past two weeks," Stav Shafir, one of the protest leaders, told Channel 2 TV.

"Finally people are choosing to determine how they want to live. We want affordable housing, health, education and welfare."

The weeks of popular demonstrations are becoming a headache for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu with polls showing a sharp drop in his approval ratings and strong support for the protesters.

Netanyahu announced a package of reforms meant to lower housing prices last week but it did little to defuse the anger.

In Jerusalem, thousands marched through the city center to the prime minister's house.

Protesters held up signs reading, "Netanyahu go home".
Dramatic price rise

The protests have brought together people from diverse background and a wide range of political views and recent demonstrations have included marches against the prices of petrol, boycotts of expensive cottage cheese that forced manufacturers to lower prices, and lengthy strikes by social workers and doctors over pay and working conditions.

The average Israeli salary stands at about $2,500 per month, with key professions like teachers, civil servants and social workers typically earning less than $2,000 a month.

Home prices jumped some 35 per cent between December 2007 and August 2010 and rental rates have also risen steadily.

Rent on a modest three-bedroom apartment in central Jerusalem can cost more than $1,000 per month and costs even more in Tel Aviv.

A standard 100 square metres apartment can easily top $600,000 in metropolitan centres like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and $200,000 to $300,000 in second-tier areas.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middl ... 03849.html

Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:04 pm » by **Freeyourmindnow**

Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:08 pm » by **Mumin**

those prices for rent would be a bargain in European cities!
Just as an example:
2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 107m2
--> 1800 euros.

Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:11 pm » by **Freeyourmindnow**

mumin wrote:those prices for rent would be a bargain in European cities!
Just as an example:
2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 107m2
--> 1800 euros.

Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:12 pm » by **Rydher**

Nice post. I'm honestly surprised to see a mass protest with a gigantic picture Che. I suppose it shows how effective the left has been at changing history. Either that or people just don't care he was an evil SOB.

Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:18 pm » by **Mediasorcerer**

poor bastards,there getting fukd over like the rest of us,bit by bit. at least there doing something about it,good on em,house prices here are ridiculous too.

oh ryder,only the "left" changes history now? it says a diverse group of people,

and im sure che is not the most evil sob there was or is on this planet right now.

so your a lefty if you want affordable housing for all? really.

Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:23 pm » by **Freeyourmindnow**

Arabs and jews protesting together :shock:

Upload to Disclose.tv

The biggest wave of protest rallies in years is due to start shortly in Israel. Demonstrators will take to the streets in seven cities across the country. And activists hope the rally in Tel Aviv alone will attract half-a-million people.

Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:27 pm » by **Rydher**

Stop trying to create an argument where there isn't one. Did I say only the left changes history? No, but what I will say is the whole Socialist or what ever you want to call it movement has blatantly done it on a massive scale. Just look at the U.S. public school system.

so your a lefty if you want affordable housing for all? really.

Stop showing your ass. You look like a fucking moron.

Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:39 pm » by **Ironlikealion**

This protest has two sides, from one side it was started by the usual suspects ,
NGO's and activists who are funded by various foreign sources like the EU,
Ford foundation , Soros , which using this situation to their benefit,
their real goal is overthrowing the government, the rise in housing prices
is their excuse . (i wont even go into details on the why these organizations are
partially responsible in the first place for the problem they are now
propose to offer the solution for)

these organizations,activists and NGO's ,are backed by the media in Israel 100%
and they have been trying to get people out to the streets for the last few years ,

but this time they found a good reason ,a reason the simple people
can relate to , and this is why this protest gained popularity ,
because when the reason is right , people dont give a shit who pushes it
and why . because the cost of living in Israel is indeed insane , our salaries
are lower then in EU or US but we pay more or as much for food and housing ,
young couples need to enslave themselves to the banks for life in order
to afford a house ,and the rent prices are extremely high as well .

so this protest is indeed justified , what will come out of this remains to be seen .

but, Israel is a democracy , the current PM is not a dictator that rules the country
for decades , this is not the same kind of protests we have seen in Arab countries.
and the most violent acts were blocking roads,no stones or Molotov
bottles were thrown,and no one got shot or hurt ,although few people were
arrested but released by judges allready.

what happens if we take this to the extreme and say that the current
government will fall, who you think will replace them ?
well according to the polls , the second biggest party is kadima , which were
the ones that were in control of Israel government during 2009 gaza op,
or in other words , it doesn't really matter , they are all the same anyway .

Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:41 pm » by **Mediasorcerer**

to dear miss ryder,=stop being a fukin sook, your a girl,i just posed a legitimate question in response to your post,[ooooh,please dont offend me] im so sensitive!!!!

its called debate,sorry your too sensitive and childish to engage in one,

ps,you really should get "ass" out of your consciousness, unless of course you see yourself as fitting the profile for one of those lefty socialist poofters you keep raving on about. your acting like one right now.[im tellin mummy,mediasorcer was rude to me]