JERUSALEM - Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets across the country on Saturday to protest the rising price of housing in the greater popular participation in a movement that began two weeks ago and requires action by government to alleviate load.
Protests over housing costs have used the general discontent among Israelis about the high cost of living and the growing gap between rich and poor. Other protests included doctors strike over pay and working conditions, parents protest against high cost of breeding and fumes like on gasoline prices rising.
Thousands packed the streets of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other major cities and sang, waving Israeli flags and banners saying demonstrators "The people demand social justice." "The work three jobs, but not to meet," "killing ourselves to live" and "social gaps are killing us."
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that more than 100,000 people marched in 10 cities across the country from Beersheba in the south of Kiryat Shmona in the north end Saturday night. Police closed the main streets of the protesters to leave.
The demonstrations began two weeks ago in Tel Aviv, where young activists set up a small tented camp in a central area to draw attention to the housing crisis in the country. The protests, inspired in part by the turmoil in neighboring Arab countries, have continued to gain steam and show no signs of slowing.
"This is a great success, people are marching in the streets and living on the streets the past two weeks," said Stav Shafir, one of the leaders of the protest. "Finally people are choosing to determine how to live. We want affordable housing, health, education and welfare."
Weeks of demonstrations are becoming a headache for Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who polls show a sharp drop in his approval ratings and strong support for the protesters. Netanyahu announced a package of reforms intended to lower housing prices last week, but did little to calm the anger.
In Jerusalem, thousands of people marched through downtown to the home of Prime Minister.
Protesters held up signs reading "Netanyahu go home." The protests have brought together people of diverse backgrounds and a wide range of political views. Recent events have included marches against the price of gasoline, expensive cottage cheese boycott that forced manufacturers to lower prices and long strikes of social workers and doctors over pay and working conditions.
The average salary in Israel is about $ 2,500 per month, with key professions such as teachers, civil servants and social workers generally earn less than $ 2,000 per month.
Housing prices rose 35 percent between December 2007 and August 2010 and rental rates have also risen steadily. Rent a modest three-bedroom apartment in downtown Jerusalem, can cost more than $ 1,000 per month and costs more in Tel Aviv.
A standard of 1,000 square meters (100 square feet) apartment can easily exceed $ 600,000 in metropolitan centers such as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and $ 200,000 to $ 300. 000 on the second floor areas.
Protest organizers told a crowd of 50,000 people in Tel Aviv.
"We are here today to tell our elected representatives in the clearest way that the government has a responsibility to their citizens," Leef said Daphne, one of the leaders. "In public housing is not a dirty word. No more tricks."
Opposition leader, Tzipi Livni, said parliament should cancel their summer vacation to address the crisis.
Cabinet Secretary Tzvi Hauser tried to defend government policies on Channel 10 television, but was interrupted and silenced by questions from a panel of critics. Hauser said the government had inherited the problems of previous governments and was working hard to resolve them.
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Protests over housing costs have used the general discontent among Israelis about the high cost of living and the growing gap between rich and poor. Other protests included doctors strike over pay and working conditions, parents protest against high cost of breeding and fumes like on gasoline prices rising.
Thousands packed the streets of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other major cities and sang, waving Israeli flags and banners saying demonstrators "The people demand social justice." "The work three jobs, but not to meet," "killing ourselves to live" and "social gaps are killing us."
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that more than 100,000 people marched in 10 cities across the country from Beersheba in the south of Kiryat Shmona in the north end Saturday night. Police closed the main streets of the protesters to leave.
The demonstrations began two weeks ago in Tel Aviv, where young activists set up a small tented camp in a central area to draw attention to the housing crisis in the country. The protests, inspired in part by the turmoil in neighboring Arab countries, have continued to gain steam and show no signs of slowing.
"This is a great success, people are marching in the streets and living on the streets the past two weeks," said Stav Shafir, one of the leaders of the protest. "Finally people are choosing to determine how to live. We want affordable housing, health, education and welfare."
Weeks of demonstrations are becoming a headache for Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who polls show a sharp drop in his approval ratings and strong support for the protesters. Netanyahu announced a package of reforms intended to lower housing prices last week, but did little to calm the anger.
In Jerusalem, thousands of people marched through downtown to the home of Prime Minister.
Protesters held up signs reading "Netanyahu go home." The protests have brought together people of diverse backgrounds and a wide range of political views. Recent events have included marches against the price of gasoline, expensive cottage cheese boycott that forced manufacturers to lower prices and long strikes of social workers and doctors over pay and working conditions.
The average salary in Israel is about $ 2,500 per month, with key professions such as teachers, civil servants and social workers generally earn less than $ 2,000 per month.
Housing prices rose 35 percent between December 2007 and August 2010 and rental rates have also risen steadily. Rent a modest three-bedroom apartment in downtown Jerusalem, can cost more than $ 1,000 per month and costs more in Tel Aviv.
A standard of 1,000 square meters (100 square feet) apartment can easily exceed $ 600,000 in metropolitan centers such as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and $ 200,000 to $ 300. 000 on the second floor areas.
Protest organizers told a crowd of 50,000 people in Tel Aviv.
"We are here today to tell our elected representatives in the clearest way that the government has a responsibility to their citizens," Leef said Daphne, one of the leaders. "In public housing is not a dirty word. No more tricks."
Opposition leader, Tzipi Livni, said parliament should cancel their summer vacation to address the crisis.
Cabinet Secretary Tzvi Hauser tried to defend government policies on Channel 10 television, but was interrupted and silenced by questions from a panel of critics. Hauser said the government had inherited the problems of previous governments and was working hard to resolve them.
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