Thousands Join Social Protests in Israel

By Haaretz August 27, 2011

Thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Saturday night to participate in demonstrations protesting the high cost of living in Israel.

In Tel Aviv, around 10,000 protesters marched from Habima Square to the intersection of Ibn Gvirol and Shaul Hamelech streets, where a rally was held.

Noam Shalit, the father of captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, participated in the Tel Aviv rally.

In Jerusalem, around 2,000 protesters marched to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence. The rally was held under the banner “Protest creates reality, we are building a just society”.

In Rishon Letzion, around 4,500 people demonstrated, according to a police estimate.

Around 1,000 people took part in a protest near Kibbutz Ma’anit and around 500 in a protest in Katzrin.

Stav Sapir, one of the leaders of the protest movement, told Channel 2: “There is nothing to be dissapointed about. The whole concept of this matter is to go out and do. This is the sixth [Saturday night] that we have taken to the streets and in my view it is a success that people are still coming to do this. Everyone is talking about a million-person march next week. In my view, this is terrific, this is a success.”

The movement against the high cost of living in Israel began in mid-July, when tents were set up on Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard to protest apartment prices.

For more, go to Haaretz.com

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO