Some 450,000 Israelis march at massive 'March of the Million' rallies across country
Protests held in major cities across Israel represent biggest rallies in country's history; protest leader says 'we have chosen to see instead of walking blindly toward the abyss.'
By Oz Rosenberg, Ilan Lior and Gili Cohen Tags: Israel housing protest Tel Aviv Israel protestOver 450,000 protesters attended rallies across the country last night calling for social justice in what was the largest demonstration in Israeli history.
The main protest took place in Tel Aviv's Kikar Hamedina, where some 300,000 people gathered after marching from Habima Square about two kilometers away. Protest leader Yonatan Levy said the atmosphere was like "a second Independence Day."
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'March of the Million' rally in Tel Aviv, Sept. 3, 2011. |
| Photo by: Moti Milrod |
Protest leaders Daphni Leef and National Student Union Chairman Itzik Shmuli both addressed the Tel Aviv crowd. "Mr. Prime Minister, the new Israelis have a dream and it is simple: to weave the story of our lives into Israel. We expect you to let us live in this country. The new Israelis will not give up. They demand change and will not stop until real solutions come," Shmuli said.
"My generation always felt as though we were alone in this world, but now we feel the solidarity," said Leef. "They tried to dismiss us as stupid children, and as extreme leftists," but last night's countrywide protest proved otherwise, she said.
Dr. Shiri Tannenbaum, a medical resident leading the young doctors' protest against the recent collective wage agreement signed between the government and the Israel Medical Association, also spoke at the Tel Aviv rally.
In Jerusalem, an unprecedented 50,000 people filled Paris Square and the surrounding streets, almost twice the number that attended previous protests this summer.
Actress and comedienne Orna Banai told the crowd in the capital: "I am not amused that there are hungry children here; that we have a soldier rotting in captivity for five years; that Israel is one of the poorest examples there are of human rights."
The chairman of the Hebrew University Student Union, Itai Gotler, said: "We changed this summer. The voice of the mother, the teacher, the student, have been heard...The fire of protest was lit in Tel Aviv, but the tent city in Jerusalem shows that the protest belongs to all of us."
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Protesters at the 'March of the Million' rally in Tel Aviv, Sept. 3, 2011. |
| Photo by: Moti Milrod |
Gotler said the Jerusalem tent city was closing down, but pledged to continue the struggle.
Yehuda Alush, 52, from Be'er Sheva, among a group of protesters from the Negev who marched to the capital, said: "This protest must not stop or we'll lose." In Haifa, the protest drew 40,000 people, many of whom waved red flags.
The Haifa protest focused on the issue of discrimination against Arabs. Shahin Nasser, representative of the Wadi Nisnas protest tent in Haifa said: "Today we are changing the rules of the game. No more coexistence based on hummus and fava beans. What is happening here is true coexistence, when Arabs and Jews march together shoulder to shoulder calling for social justice and peace. We've had it. Bibi, go home. Steinitz, go and don't come back, Atias, good-bye and good riddance," he said, referring to the prime minister, the finance minister and the housing minister, respectively.
The chairman of the University of Haifa's student union, Yossi Shalom, told the crowd, gathered at the foot of the Bahai Gardens in the city's German Colony, "There is no more beautiful sight than social solidarity. As a student, this is the most important lesson I have learned in recent months." At the protest in Afula the numbers reached 12,000; in Rosh Pina, 7,000 and in Kiryat Shemona, 7,000.
Meanwhile, in the south, a total of more than 1,000 people took part in rallies in Mitzpe Ramon and Arad. Ya'akov Laksi, an organizer of the protest in Arad, told the crowd: "Social justice means Arad will no longer be called an outlying town. We need to bring people work."
Laksi said organizers had expected only 100 protesters.
"We want the government to increase funding, not take from someone else," Eyal Adler, an organizer of the protest in Mitzpe Ramon said.
A protester who gave her name as Ruthie, said: "We are far from the eye of the media, but we deserve no less funding and a change in the funding map of Israel."
Concerns over possible rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip led the Home Front Command to issue a directive prohibiting demonstrations in Be'er Sheva, Ashdod and Ashkelon.
Eli Ashkenazi and Yanir Yagna contributed to this report.
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Well you know that it's almost unavoidable - right?
The Israelis complain about the price of housing - most of it built on stolen Palestinian land. As for the lack of social justice in Tel Aviv, well just ask the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and E.Jerusalem what they think about that sort of hypocrisy.
The Israelis complain about the price of housing - most of it built on stolen Palestinian land. As for the lack of social justice in Tel Aviv, well just ask the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and E.Jerusalem what they think about that sort of hypocrisy.
remmember 1973 ,, israel is dead :))
"In an unstable Middle East, Israel is the one anchor of stability." B. Netanyahu in his, excuse me, speech US Congress, May 24 2011.
no more than 130000 mean creatures urged on advantages of Gulag comparing with free market and prosperity. Let go in hell them all!
The sanctions and demonstrations, which started in good faith, have been hijaked by the left, who use it for their anti-Bibi propoganda. The problems in Israel started long before Bibi became prime minister, and a lot of people demonstrating do not desire a socialist state. They want capitalism, not an oligarchy.
We all know that, under their command, all Israel got were blown up buses, malls and discos. NO Left, you can not reclaim your power, by hijacking another agenda. DO YOU THINK WE'RE STUPID.
Were it not for the fact, that under Barak Labour has become a quasi anti-semitic party He leads pogroms against Jews and refuses to let the army defend itself in his own political interests. A dream that the left stops being owned by self-hating jews
A lot of people can't stand her (including me). If she's the face of the new Israel, we're in trouble.
Wanting to take Israel to Greece, Spain, Ireland. In other words, giving away money to "the people" and plaing the nation into Bankrupcy in the process.
Guess it is clear what need to be done! The majority deserves a break, at the expense of settlements, orthodox, 10 stinking rich families with too many tax breaks, and a war philosophy that cost too much.
Let them do something to make a better life for themselves. Start a business, invent, innovate.
there is enough space to affordable prices
Presumably most of these people voted in the national elections. ("The only democracy.... etc etc). They cheered their leaders during Cast Lead and applauded during the massacres in Lebanon. But took to the streets because of the price of yoghurt. Don't they see the connection? Between occupation, subsidized settlers, military campaigns, moral decline, social injustice and the state of affairs? How blind can you be? 20% of the population below the poverty line(7.8% in Norway, 7.2% in France), racism, seclusion, apartheid and walls. No sympathy whatsoever, Israel is accelerating down a dead end street, heeding no warnings from friends and foes.
If you{ve known the FACTS, you would have know that ONLY 63% of the voting population actually DID vote.... But you, as ALL the scandinavians are too busy thinking the world ends at your belly. Me and my son (BORN in a scandinavian country) were deported from that country ONLY because I divorced the guy I was married to... So, you TAKE CARE of your "Anders Breivicks" citizens, and LET US take care of our Ahmeds and Moses.
Now, have the masses march upon Gaza and the West bank and kick out the terrorists!
zionism is dangerous. zionism is not politically correct. you don't have to be a zionist in order to be jewish or to love israel. anti-zionism does not mean anti-semitism. zionism is a flawed political concept. Equal civil rights, human rights and democracy in israel!
The eyes of the world are watching! No more tolerance for a world where a very few profit and the rest of us despair. Hey Ibrahim, from Michigan? Nice to see you! Let's get together.
Israel gave a big chunk of its land to Arabs. In addition every Arab citizen of Israel has many children. As a result, there is less land for more people and the prices has gone up.
Why blame the Arabs? You should blame your inept and arrogant leaders like Netanyahu and Lieberman. They chose to focus their energy towards building more illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories and forgetting their responsibility towards the people of Israel. They brawled with Obama, the UN, UE, and Turkey thinking that they were making themselves heroes at home. It's good that Israelis have awakened from deep slumber or else Netanyahu would have pulled them to the deepest pit of hell.
listen I'm spanish and here happened that as much land gov change for build , the most expensive houses went, until the buble exploded, It's all about speculation and probabilly Israel is suffering finacial and economic crisis as everybody, stop blamming Arabs for everything and look to money return expecting from investors on real state stocks
Congratulations, Israel. Next step is the topple the racist apartheid regime controlled by the coalition of russian mobsters and religious fanatics.
It was so crowded that it was difficult to get to Kikar Hamedina from Ibn Gvirol. I was with my friens from Yafo that has serious housing problems and Arabs and Jews refuse to be enemies. There is no doubt that These are the Largest Demonstrations Since Peace Now and the Peace Process after Saadat came to Isreal in 1977. Israel is Changing.
unless it is non violent protest in places like Bi'lin. Look at the whole picture please. In the end, we are all in this world together, love is all that matters. This may sound naive and stupid to many people, but ultimately, it's the only truth. Rulers, in whichever country, are rulers, the people are the people, power resides there, and love is power
If every body in the world asks for bread, the ancien regime goes POOF.
Where did they get this number? official numbers are between 190,000 and 250,000!! NOT MORE!!! ah, some writers really want to sell they papers....!!!!
I am curious as to how future historians will connect these marches with the anti-corruption demonstrations in India, the English riots, and of course, the Arab Spring.
Victory To The Israeli RevoluZion !
He has - ahem - too many domestic problems.
in the 50's, this was the slogan of the Israeli comunist party. They used to march yelling that all day long. Many of them were already way better than many of us but marching they did. It was fun... Today, the young people need to save money to travel all over the world and there parents need to save money to help them out. No wonder there isn't enough money for home. They should/could all move to a Kibbutz, nothing to worry about and still being able to march...
US political advisers and radical Left-Wing US Jews behind the disguised agenda of these so called 'Social Justice' protests.
all you israel haters... give a chance to israelis who are working their asses off and getting nothing in return. the time has come to tell you that you critics are nothing but irrational haters of israeli people who are normal human beings but you NEVER gave them a time of day to express their own feelings yet are venting your own ideological frustration in where... europe, america? oh come on: this is ridiculous. israelis have it much more tougher then you. they send their children to die at the worst and work their asses of at their best. you people have NO idea how this reality is and like to project your own ideological and unrealistic frustration on people who experience something you never have. you know how it sounds? disingenuous, fake, and revolting. get your own lives to complain about your own reality: israelis experience a life you NEVER have or will. this is getting old and VERY fresh. it's a bit ridiculous to even listen to people who haven't been there and like to criticize israelis for their lives - who try their best and get almost nothing in return - send their children to die - for what? for a piece of land and a bit of quiet? GET A LIFE. I'll say for the third time (or fourth, I've lost count): GET A LIFE! It's a bit fresh to criticize people who've lost their sons in battle, god *amn it - frankly - get a life
my support to all Israel Citizens that cannot afford enough money to pay housing or living and march for their rights, my support to all arabs and palestinians that see how his country turn to the greatest prision human did in all its history... Oh yes.. just other thing, How the hell do you know my way of life and if i enjoy .. Dumby
Perhaps you should invite Abbas to see what's going on in Israel.
It is about time the people of Israel stood up for peace, decent and affordable housing. The founders of Israel are turning in their graves over what Israel has become
Europeans come back to europe, americans come back to US, russians back to siberia (what are you doing in the desert?) and just stay people that has at least four generation in the land.
you read my mind, this is the best solution for everyone, wish Israelis start packing.........
You back again! your government failed to get you away by Egyptian SINAI actions!
Cheers,
Apart from a few notable exceptions, when Israeli Jews talk about social justice, they mean for Jews only. There is no concern with the injustice suffered by non-Jews or that fact that Israel has relentlessly pursued a policy of creating facts on the ground with the purpose of grabbing all the land it can without any of the people. Israel can exist as a Jewish OR as a democratic state but not as both.
Don't hold your breath: the days of the Bolshevism will never return.
you do
chill...
The Pali leadership make their own people suffer interminably
Maybe you are rich, we are not. Rent, arnona, vad bayit, water, electric add up to one month's salary. What about food and clothing? Prices here compared to salaries are insane. Some of the older generations received homes for a few lirot, so they don't get it.
And, what did you do before buying your apartment? Travel? To where - India, South America, USA, "Only Europe?". I didn't do any of that and by now, I have two nice homes and no problem to make the payment. Am I rich? By your standards -Yes! However, I worked hard for my money, nothing came from you. Why do you want me to support your way of life?
move to a place where rent is cheaper. you are luck you have a job. U.S. unemployment is high and many european countries are even worse off. Learn to live within your means. Older generation suffered heavily in early 1940's no food, no housing, no hope. Israel is a place where you can become a millionaire if you want to!!!
Move to Judea and Samaria, what's the problem ?
so u are wrong (area B since is under isr when it comes to "security" is practicaly "governed" by jews, and C- you now the rest...)
don't lie....