Sunday, September 4, 2011

Social Protests Spreading in Israel

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday night in what appeared to be the largest social protest in Israel’s history. The protesters, calling their latest action the “March of the Million”, demanded government action to curb the growing cost of living in the country.

“The state has money that goes to the wrong places, there is no equality. The money doesn't come back to the people,” said Shmuel Lim, a protestor in Tel Aviv [CNN, 4 September].

“It is like a tsunami wave, we are just in the middle of the tsunami in this protest, the wave is swiping us and we are in the middle of it,” Shai Sade of Tel Aviv told CNN.

Saturday’s protest was the culmination of a six-week-long social protest movement that began with a small group of activists pitching tents in an exclusive neighborhood of Tel Aviv to protest high rents.

Photo: Tel Aviv, Saturday 3 September 2011. CNN

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well this no big news. It is happening all over the World from Spain, France and other places.

At least in Israel they allow people to demonstrate. Rather than blowing this out of proportion look at what happend to those in Iran who were demonstrating against Lake Urumiah drying up. A simple environment issue and three hundred people are already arrested.

In a free society one can demostrate and make his/her opinion known. That is what this excercise is all about.

Just compare this to Syria or Iran!

Anonymous said...

Thank you my friend you are a person who knows what they are talking about.In a democracy people must be allowed to demonstrate and question government and most importantly have a free press.
Government is the servant of the people not the other way round that is when things will start to go wrong.
I hope one day very soon Iranians will be able to protest without fear of execution or imprisonment.

Morris
TEL-AVIV-YAFO
ISRAEL

redz said...

the difference between iran and isreal for the iran haters and liberals

a evil regime of fundamentalists theocratic mullahs spends barly 2 percent of gdp on military and high amount on welfare especially on the poor and lower classes

considering the threat iran faces thats bad policey

isreal a free deomcratic government spends nearly 8 percent of gdp on the military and has tried shift of the welfare on its extensive private orginasiations whove spent there money on the newly arrived settlers not on the working class, only nationalism and high has kept the peace

Anonymous said...

redz

"the difference between Iran and Israel for the Iran haters and liberals"

So Mr redz by not agreeing with the murdering theocratic regime we become Iran haters or liberals and what's wrong with liberals?

You most likely live in a democratic country in the West whose run by "liberals" so what's your problem with this?

No Mr redz the "Iran haters" and fascists are the ones in Tehran who have bloodied their hands with the blood of our people.

The statistics the regime publishes have been altered to match their bogus propaganda so that gullible people can believe their "achievements".

Rd. said...

“In a free society one can demostrate and make his/her opinion known. That is what this excercise is all about.”

…. And some ‘free’ societies you don’t even hear much about demonstrations!!!


Tar Sands Action, the group organizing the protest, said in a statement that over the course of the two-week sit-in, 1,252 Americans were arrested. Among those arrested were top climate scientists, former White House official Gus Speth, NASA scientist Dr. James Hansen, actress Daryl Hannah, and author Naomi Klein.

http://channel6newsonline.com/2011/09/white-house-protest-against-oil-pipeline-ends-with-hundreds-arrested/

Rd. said...

what happend to those in Iran who were demonstrating against Lake Urumiah drying up.


Perhaps those demonstrations will have an impact...

‘Officials determined to save Lake Urmia’

http://www.mehrnews.com/en/NewsDetail.aspx?pr=s&query=Urmia%20&NewsID=1397552

Anonymous said...

@Rd

Maybe some people are arrested in the US but be realistic in Iran not only they shoot people from roof tops they also arrest and torture them or make them disappear for ever.

To protest in Iran you are considered as( WARING AGAINST GOD)

Therefor you are seen as easy target by regime to eliminate in the name of ALLAH.

Anonymous said...

When will Americans dare engage in such protests in wealthy American cities?

Anonymous said...

Demos of osraelöi do not care us

there is place for a nonislamic state in middle east.

Anonymous said...

Anon 5:10 PM

"When will Americans dare engage in such protests in wealthy American cities."

Americans have always dared to engage in protests in poor or wealthy American cities it's their constitutional right and that's what made America great!

Nothing is perfect but things can be challenged and amended without fear or torture.

redz said...

"Nothing is perfect but things can be challenged and amended without fear or torture."

oh realy, american system has had meny significant protests because of bad organisational structure of movements, considering the US tortures people outside the country and the us law inforcement is on that has the worst reputation among developed countries if things ever get bad, i hate to see what system may do

you can protest in iran except when its insulting islam and its values

you can protests about economic conditions in iran as much as you want or other social issues such as environment just like in the recent protests

Anonymous said...

"there is place for a nonislamic state in middle east."


why not? the islamic ones haven't been all that great and the world belongs to everybody.

Anonymous said...

redz said:

"you can protests about economic conditions in iran as much as you want or other social issues such as environment just like in the recent protests"

Of course and that is the reason 300 of them were arrested for a small protest!!

Wake up!

Rd. said...

Anonymous said...
@Rd

“To protest in Iran you are considered as( WARING AGAINST GOD)”

Perhspa GOD did hear those protesting in Iran!! :-)

Iran to use water right in Aras to save Lake Urmia

http://www.mehrnews.com/en/newsdetail.aspx?NewsID=1400236

Payvand Iran News ...
09/05/11
Bookmark and Share
Iran: Budget announced for saving Lake Oroumiyeh

Source: Radio Zamaneh

Iranian authorities have approved a $900-million budget to stop the rapid drying of Lake Oroumiyeh.

Lake Urmia (Orumieh) is a salt lake in northwestern Iran near Turkey. The lake is between the provinces of East Azarbaijan and West Azarbaijan, west of the southern portion of the similarly shaped Caspian Sea. It is the largest lake inside Iran, and the third salt water lake on earth, with a surface area of approximately 5,200 km square (2,000 mile square).

Iranian media report that the head of Iran's Organization for the Protection of the Environment has announced that 950 billion toumans ($900 million) has been allotted to redirect water from the Aras and Kurdistan Rivers to Lake Oroumiyeh.

Last week, activists in Tabriz and Oroumiyeh staged demonstrations to protest government inaction as the lake's water level continues to fall.

Despite approval of the budget, MP Kazem Farahmand told the Khaneh Mellat website that "hasty" decisions will not solve the problem of Lake Oroumiyeh.

"Salvaging Lake Oroumiyeh without identifying the causes of it drying out is impossible, and any hasty decision in this regard will only lead to further environmental costs," Farahmand maintained.

The president's parliamentary representative has announced the formation of a committee to resolve the problems facing Lake Oroumiyeh. Among its proposed projects: redirecting water from the Aras River and building a 40-kilometer tunnel to direct underground waters from Zaub to Lake Oroumiyeh.

... Payvand News - 09/05/11 ...

Anonymous said...

Dear Rd

Talk is cheap especially in Iran by the regime and just after the protests so that they can calm the people down and then nothing.
$900 million is a lot of money especially when the regime is not receiving the hard currency from oil revenues they rather give that money to their paid thugs so that regime can stay a little longer.
As I said don't count on these people they habitually lie all the time especially when it comes to saving their own necks.
As for their "News"papers and media I wouldn't trust them as far as I can spit.

And another thing you go to Iran and protest against the regime see what happens to you.
If they don't declare you as Waring against God and see fit to harshly deal with you then I will enroll as Khamenei's personal ass wipe !

All the best.

Anonymous said...

Dear Rd

Yes looks like god answered their prayers but lets see what happens next. I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

All the best.

B.M.A said...

HUMBLE GRIEVERENCES:
DEAR SIR MR USKOWI : in line with your recent code of rules HOW do you justify blocking my comment that had some critism on ISRAEL AND THE USA -concerning tha South African sanction--something that is known the world over, BUT at the THE SAME TIME FEEL OKAY TO COMMENTS LIKE -ANON 15 posted at 6 7:40 that evidently breaks one of the rules there!!.[mind you we dont discuss asses here]

Anonymous said...

Don't get a nervous breakdown.

Anonymous said...

The rules only apply to personal attacks on the commentators not attacks on the regime.

I personally say the Anon was right what he said in a political content he didn't attack commentators but politicians a huge difference.

Note: His use of words is colourful but not rude at the least.

Anonymous said...

redz

"you can protest in Iran except when it's insulting Islam and it's values"

Really redz you believe your own propaganda because if that was the case how about the recent protests regarding lake Orumieh and the arrest of 300 people?

And redz what are "Islam and it's values"?
Is it when the theocracy shoots from rooftops at protesters or when they arrest torture rape and kill in the name of Allah?

Come on redz you know full well that what your commenting is not true.
So try to be true to yourself before you try to convince others.