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  • "One Million" man march across Israel

    Masses show up for biggest protest in Israel's history

    Tent protest reaches climax point: Some 300,000 gather in Tel Aviv, 40,000 in Jerusalem and 30,000 in Haifa.' Rallies take place in many other cities across Israel. 'Mr. prime minister, we are the new Israelis,' proclaims student leader
    Ynet reporters
    Latest Update: 09.03.11, 22:22 / Israel News

    Israel's tent protest marked a climax point Saturday as more than 400,000 people took to the streets in demand for social justice in what is being declared the biggest protest in Israel's history.

    Some 250,000 gathered in Tel Aviv's State Square after marching from the city's Habima Square, according to police estimates. Charlie Bitton, leader of the 1970's movement the Black Panthers lead the marchers. They expressed dissatisfaction over the high cost of living and chanted "The people demand social justice. "

    Some 40,000 people gathered in Jerusalem's Paris Square near the prime minister's residence as well as in the city center. In Haifa some 30,000 protested. Rallies were also held in various other cities across Israel including Afula, Hadera, Qalanswa, Herzliya, Eilat and Arad.

    In Nahariya no less than 3,000 gathered, while Carmiel saw 700 protesters and Kiryat Shmona some 5,000. The Hadera rally was attended by more than 2,500 people and some 2,000 people showed up in Eilat.

    In Tel Aviv, Chairman of the Student Union Itzik Shmuli addressed Benjamin Netanyahu saying: "Mr. prime minister take a good look at us: We are the new Israelis. And the new Israelis want only one simple thing: to live with dignity in this country. We want not only to love the State of Israel as we do – but also the chance to make an honest living and live with dignity. Let us live in this country."

    He further added: "Tonight we make history again. The people are supporting a protest started by the young people and a week after the protest was proclaimed over we are on the verge of breaking another record. From now on the government knows that at any given moment Israelis can return to the streets and must therefore deliver the goods."

    Daphni Leef, one of the organizers of the tent protest said: "This summer is the great summer of the new Israeli hope born of despair, alienation and impossible gaps."

    She added: "The Israeli society has reached its red line, and has gotten up and said 'no more.' This is the miracle of the summer of 2011."

    Among the speakers in Tel Aviv was also Dr. Shiri Tenenbaum, a medical resident at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer who addressed the crowd less than a day before her resignation letter goes into effect. "This is a struggle for the very right to health," she said. "There is no medical justice without social justice."

    Several artists performed during the rally including popular singer Eyal Golan and hip-hop band Hadag Nachash.

    In Jerusalem, the protesters cried "The answer to privatization – revolution," while in Haifa the demonstrators carried Israeli flags as well as signs calling for the release of captive soldier Gilad Shalit.

    Meanwhile, the protest organizers announced that the tent site in Tel Aviv's Rothschild Boulevard will be cleared and will no longer serve for accommodation but for public conferences.

    Police and emergency services were on high alert Saturday, getting ready for the mass rallies across the country.

    Boaz Fyler, Hassan Shaalan, Yoav Zitun, Ilana Curiel, Ahiya Raved, Raanan Ben-Zur, Yair Altman, Omri Efraim and Maor Buchnik contributed to this report
    Tonight was heralded across the country as a "million man march". In reality 400,000 showed up, over 300,000 of them in Tel Aviv. While impressive numbers, read the following post to get my opinion on the march:
    Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

    Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

  • #2
    The following piece has been sent into the Jerusalem Post and Yedioth Ahronot websites, I don't know yet if it will be published or not

    I am “one of a million”, and I am disappointed. Like 400,000 (one million?) other people, I marched for social justice. I gave up my Saturday night and with a friend went into Tel Aviv, and like meek sheep we joined the herd. We marched down Ibn Gabirol and made it to Kikar Hamedina. We arrived and as I heard the first speaker, I realized that this is one herd I don’t want to belong to.

    We marched for “Social Justice”, but what exactly is social justice? It sounds beautiful, but what is it in reality? No one knows. When we went and sat in Rothschild in the sweltering heat, when this struggle was started, the focus was on real estate prices and the artificial real estate bubble in Tel Aviv in particular and in Israel in general. Tonight’s march had nothing to do with that.

    As we marched down the street, we were greeted with a myriad of signs, and yet surprisingly, not one of the signs we saw had anything to do with real estate prices. There were signs proclaiming “Bibi, quit!”. There were plenty signs demanding social justice, there were people supporting the doctors and interns, people supporting Meretz, people supporting Sheli Yechimovitch, those that called for the release of Gilad Shalit and people supporting the vegetarians, naturalists and vegans. Apparently the vegetarians’ rights have been infringed upon. Either that, or cows, sheep and chickens now have the right to vote and we’ve been discriminating against ambulatory meals.

    Therein lays the problem with the current herd. Anyone and everyone can join this herd. When we marched 10,000 strong in Jerusalem against the Avrekhim Law, we were heard and things changed. When the social workers went on strike, things changed, and the same thing happened with the doctors. When an organization or group focuses on a single task and a single goal, they can apply pressure and attempt to change the status quo. In many cases they even succeed. In this case, there are so many different groups and organizations that are marching under the catch-all phrase of “social justice” that this entire wonderful gathering of people has lost its purpose.

    Instead of focusing on the real estate bubble they’ve changed the agenda to trying to turn this country into a Socialist Communist state, and the first step down that path is Netanyahu’s resignation. The people in the street yell for a return to a “welfare state”, but they have no idea what they are actually asking for, and I’ll explain why:

    Britannica defines a welfare state as “concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life.” There is no problem with equality of opportunity, that is something indeed we should aspire to achieve, but what of those “unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life”? Who’s going to take care of them? And how is “a good life” defined, and by whom? Why, the welfare government, of course. And where does the money to support them come from? Why, you and I, of course.

    Why should I study for my degree and at the same time work at a job and open my own translating business and pay taxes so I can support myself honestly, and at the same time support someone lazier than myself that doesn’t feel like working hard?

    Churchill once said “No tax is a good tax”. Today that doesn’t cut it, taxes are a necessary evil and almost anyone will admit this. Taxes are needed for any government to function, but that doesn’t include supporting deadbeats. When the 400,000 (one million?) man strong crowd starts calling for a welfare state, that is when I wash my hands of this. When the protestors can get themselves back on track and focus on the original goal, then I will join in again wholeheartedly, but not one second before that.
    Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

    Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

    Comment


    • #3
      I agree - no free lunch at my expense - the disabled and children may apply for a free lunch - I am happy to provide it - but when someone, who doesn't need it, wants free lunch and an effort free life just because they are lazy - let them find it themselves.

      And animal rights? I think those people should go find a wild animal and offer themselves up as a meal - that would serve their cause.
      Last edited by USSWisconsin; 04 Sep 11,, 00:42.
      sigpic"If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees.
      If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children."

      Comment


      • #4
        As I was marching some chick comes up to me with a shirt that said "Meat is murder" and tried to hand me a pamphlet. I looked her dead in the eye and responded "Meat is tasty". She chased me for a full minute trying to give me a pamphlet before giving up. Now, for the life of me, I have no idea what the Israeli version of the PETA has to do with lower apartment prices OR "social justice"
        Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

        Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

        Comment


        • #5
          You are running away from chicks for a whole minute? What happened with Israeli's youth? One minute and she gave up?

          Here you are lucky if she is persistent enough to give you the flyer
          No such thing as a good tax - Churchill

          To make mistakes is human. To blame someone else for your mistake, is strategic.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by bigross86 View Post
            As I was marching some chick comes up to me with a shirt that said "Meat is murder" and tried to hand me a pamphlet. I looked her dead in the eye and responded "Meat is tasty". She chased me for a full minute trying to give me a pamphlet before giving up. Now, for the life of me, I have no idea what the Israeli version of the PETA has to do with lower apartment prices OR "social justice"
            Can you give me an estimate of prices rent/own-wise from 2005-2011 in Tel-Aviv? just curious or at least some measure of the last three years. Also was wondering what property taxes in Israel are like?

            The problem I think is that too many regulated monopolies in the country, protected by insanely high tarrifs and barriers to entry. Alcohol and Car production could definitely be somewhere else but oh well. I am sure wine producers would still be successful but beer & vodka could be imported with a better quality...
            Originally from Sochi, Russia.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Doktor View Post
              You are running away from chicks for a whole minute? What happened with Israeli's youth? One minute and she gave up?

              Here you are lucky if she is persistent enough to give you the flyer
              She must have been on welfare

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by USSWisconsin View Post
                I agree - no free lunch at my expense - the disabled and children may apply for a free lunch - I am happy to provide it - but when someone, who doesn't need it, wants free lunch and an effort free life just because they are lazy - let them find it themselves.
                Come to the UK we have them in abundance. We opened the ports and they came flooding through...millions of them. ;) The Government are cracking down but at a snails pace

                Comment

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