Protests

On September 3rd, Israeli citizens held the country's biggest demonstration in history. Over 300,000 people gathered in several different cities, the largest of which was in State Square in central Tel Aviv. They advertised this on FB & Twitter as "March of the Million", but who's counting, really? Seeing as this was not too far from our apartment in TA and a few of our friendly neighbors were headed there on their bikes, I thought I'd take them up on their invitation and tag along. What's more Israeli than taking to the streets to demand social justice, right? Here's the view from the air (I'm the guy in the green shirt):

So what started in June as just a row of hippies in tents on Rothschild Street soon ballooned into several giant rallies that have drawn thousands and thousands of protesters. This is seen as the Israeli nod to the Arab Spring. It seems that everyone is protesting something in the Middle East these days.

Below are our friends enjoying the whole experience. The atmosphere was very positive, with lots of music, a few speeches, and a rock band on a stage that was just too far away to see. There were people there of all ages, & I even saw a couple of strollers w/ toddlers demanding social justice, too.

The view from the ground--the atmosphere was positive & energetic:

So what's all the fuss about? Mainly this is an economic protest centering around the price of apartments in Israel. From there it expanded to the price of education, the price of living in general, and then to the astronomical taxes that Israelis pay on just about everything (try 100% taxes on new cars--yikes). Their motto is simple: "The People--demand--Social Justice!" It sounds like a soccer chant in Hebrew, & everybody sings along. This is a catch-all phrase that different people use to demand solutions to a variety of causes. After talking to people around the neighborhood, at the University, and at the Protest itself, I think this slogan covers the following issues (among others):

1. High Prices-People need lower prices to make it day-to-day (I think Elizabeth had a minor heart-attack when she first realized what we pay for a 1/2 gallon of milk)
2. High Taxes- they are astronomical here
3. Equality- All Israelis serve in the Israeli Military (IDF), except for the ultra-Orthodox Haredim, who not only get a pass from service but also receive government relief to study in their 'yeshivot' schools for Jewish scholarship). This is seen not only as not fair, but also as a a form of welfare by many.

Who knows if all these demands will be addressed by the government here? The major criticism leveled at the protesters is the fact that their demands are vague, and too all-inclusive to receive an substantive solutions. We'll see what happens between now & next summer. Until the next big demonstration (& this is Israel so there's sure to be more)....shalom y'all.

** And many thanks to גיא & דנה for the invite--I won't forget it. You guys rock! - Stewart