KAPTAAN
Prime VIP
Hundreds of
thousands marched on Saturday
for lower living costs in the
largest such rally in Israel's
history, bolstering a social change
movement and mounting
pressure on Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu to take on
economic reform.
Protest leaders called it "the
moment of truth" for the
grassroots movement that has
swollen since July from a cluster
of student tent-squatters into a
countrywide mobilisation of
Israel's middle class.
"An entire generation wants a
future," read one banner as
demonstrators flooded the
streets of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and
cities throughout Israel, shouting
"the people demand social
justice."
Netanyahu has warned he would
not be able to satisfy all the
protesters' demands, ranging
from tax cuts, to expansion of
free education and bigger
government housing budgets.
Organisers said over 450,000
people took part in the
demonstrations. Police put the
number at at least 300,000.
Protests on that scale in Israel,
with a population of 7.7 million,
are usually held over issues of
war and peace.
"Tonight is the pinnacle moment
of a historic protest," Amir
Rochman, 30, an activist from
Israel's Green Party said.
"Israel will no longer be the
same," Itzik Shmuli, head of the
National Student Union and one
of the protest leaders said at the
rally. "Our new Israel demands
real change in the priorities of its
government".
Though the turnout was lower
than the ambitious one million
some had hoped for,
commentators said the
movement had made its mark on
Israel by catapulting the economy
onto a political agenda long-
dominated by security concerns
and diplomacy.
Social media also played a role in
the Israeli protests, inspired partly
by the impact of Arab Spring
demonstrations.
Since it began, the popular
movement has upstaged a
diplomatic face-off with the
Palestinians for U.N. recognition
of statehood and has posed the
greatest challenge yet to
Netanyahu, halfway into his term.
"HERE TO STAY"
Although Israel enjoys a low 5.5
unemployment rate and a
growing economy, business
cartels and wage disparities have
kept many from feeling the
benefit. Many protesters come
from the middle class which
bares a heavy tax burden and
sustains the conscript military.
The weekly protests prompted
Netanyahu to set up a committee
to explore a broad revamp of
economic policies. The
government has also announced
housing and consumer market
reforms.
Protest leaders have indicated
they will pause demonstrations in
the coming weeks until the
committee submits its
conclusions. But Shmuli said at
the rally that the movement was
"here to stay".
"Priorities must be set, one thing
comes at the expense of
another," Roni Sofer, a
spokesman for Netanyahu, told
Israel Radio on Saturday, adding
that the government would not
break its budget.
Netanyahu's governing coalition
faces no immediate threat, but
the protests have underscored
the potential electoral impact of a
middle class rallying under a
banner of "social justice".
thousands marched on Saturday
for lower living costs in the
largest such rally in Israel's
history, bolstering a social change
movement and mounting
pressure on Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu to take on
economic reform.
Protest leaders called it "the
moment of truth" for the
grassroots movement that has
swollen since July from a cluster
of student tent-squatters into a
countrywide mobilisation of
Israel's middle class.
"An entire generation wants a
future," read one banner as
demonstrators flooded the
streets of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and
cities throughout Israel, shouting
"the people demand social
justice."
Netanyahu has warned he would
not be able to satisfy all the
protesters' demands, ranging
from tax cuts, to expansion of
free education and bigger
government housing budgets.
Organisers said over 450,000
people took part in the
demonstrations. Police put the
number at at least 300,000.
Protests on that scale in Israel,
with a population of 7.7 million,
are usually held over issues of
war and peace.
"Tonight is the pinnacle moment
of a historic protest," Amir
Rochman, 30, an activist from
Israel's Green Party said.
"Israel will no longer be the
same," Itzik Shmuli, head of the
National Student Union and one
of the protest leaders said at the
rally. "Our new Israel demands
real change in the priorities of its
government".
Though the turnout was lower
than the ambitious one million
some had hoped for,
commentators said the
movement had made its mark on
Israel by catapulting the economy
onto a political agenda long-
dominated by security concerns
and diplomacy.
Social media also played a role in
the Israeli protests, inspired partly
by the impact of Arab Spring
demonstrations.
Since it began, the popular
movement has upstaged a
diplomatic face-off with the
Palestinians for U.N. recognition
of statehood and has posed the
greatest challenge yet to
Netanyahu, halfway into his term.
"HERE TO STAY"
Although Israel enjoys a low 5.5
unemployment rate and a
growing economy, business
cartels and wage disparities have
kept many from feeling the
benefit. Many protesters come
from the middle class which
bares a heavy tax burden and
sustains the conscript military.
The weekly protests prompted
Netanyahu to set up a committee
to explore a broad revamp of
economic policies. The
government has also announced
housing and consumer market
reforms.
Protest leaders have indicated
they will pause demonstrations in
the coming weeks until the
committee submits its
conclusions. But Shmuli said at
the rally that the movement was
"here to stay".
"Priorities must be set, one thing
comes at the expense of
another," Roni Sofer, a
spokesman for Netanyahu, told
Israel Radio on Saturday, adding
that the government would not
break its budget.
Netanyahu's governing coalition
faces no immediate threat, but
the protests have underscored
the potential electoral impact of a
middle class rallying under a
banner of "social justice".
