With bombs falling in Gaza and rockets in Southern Israel, many feared violence would destroy Israel's protest movement. Tonight, Israelis are showing their resolve under the banner of "Until We Win" (עד שננצח), showing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that the people refuse to back down on their demands for social justice.
Diverse crowds gather tonight in Tel Aviv. The sign says, "The state is poor," which, according to Assaf, plays off Louis XIV's "I am the state."
Tonight's protests have been characterized by the media as light, with tens of thousands protesting across the country contrasting the hundreds of thousand who have poured into Israel's streets on previous Saturdays. However, such characterization fails to consider that tonight's rallies come a week before organizers plan for a million citizen march (12 percent of the population) next Saturday on September 3. Given this, much of the preparations are being targeted for next week. Yet, despite this, tens of thousands are marching in the streets tonight, demonstrating that the people will continue to pressure Netanyahu's government.
These tent protests – so named because of the Tahrir-style tent cities that have popped up throughout the entirety of Israel – began as an economic movement against unsustainable housing prices in mid-July, but have since morphed into an ever-increasing list of social justice demands. Such demands include education reform, tax reform, health care reform, housing reform. And while geopolitical issues have not been officially championed by protest organizers, such as the occupation and the settlements, an increasing minority of protesters are pushing for such issues to be included in the movement's official platform.
Jews and Arabs protest together today in Qalansuwa.
Today, people are rallying in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Jaffa, Rishon L'Tzion, Ono Valley, Hod Hasharon and in the Golan Heights.
Below the fold, I have chronicled some events from the week which led up to tonight's protests, and here (above the fold) I'll offer updates.
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UPDATES:
3:29 PM (EST) - The father of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is speaking on the night before his 25th birthday. It's a powerful moment.
3:34 PM - Gilad Shalit's father just said, referring to Netanyahu, "A leader who can lead for years while leaving a soldier behind is not worthy of leadership."
3:38 PM - According to calculations from several publications, between 20,000 and 30,000 are not rallying across Israel the week before a planned 1,000,000 person march.
3:45 PM - Protest organizers just announced over 30,000 marching across the country the week before a planned 1,000,000 march. These numbers are impressive considering the violence that has transpired recently and considering the massive rally planned for next week.
4:01 PM - 5,000 are screaming in Jerusalem before Netanyahu's residence a number of slogans. This appears to be the apex for the march in Jerusalem.
4:04 PM - Musical performances now ongoing at all locations, and it has been peaceful. When the protest officially ends at midnight, or 5 PM EST, arrests and conflict have occurred in the past, though even that has been relatively peaceful. Let's hope that such remains the case this evening.
4:34 - Here is some video from tonight in Tel Aviv. This was earlier in the evening.
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Events Leading Up to Tonight's Protests
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1) 10,000 Protesters Shout "Arabs and Jews Refuse to be Enemies"
Last week, with the violence at its height – countless rockets falling in Southern Israel and bombs falling in Gaza, killing civilians on both sides – the smallest gathering of protesters since the movement started on July 14 came out in Tel Aviv. (Every Saturday evening has been the scheduled time for mass protests.)
The size of the gathering caused many to wonder whether the movement could survive the sudden violence. Whether the security situation, and security concerns, would again drown out everything else.
However, the rally itself was an inspiring one, as Israelis gathered not only to demand that the government continue to address social justice concerns, but to identify with the victims of the violence. At the end of the rally, the entire crowd began chanting, "Arabs and Jews refuse to be enemies."
The sign reads: In Solidarity With the South (Israel) and Gaza.
2) Protesters Squat Abandoned Buildings in Tel Aviv
Social justice protesters occupied several abandoned buildings in Tel Aviv this week, attempting to transform them into spontaneous housing for those unable to afford a place to live. The squatters had a high profile in the media this week, and received an even higher profile when police attempted to remove them from the buildings.
Police remove squatters from a building in Tel Aviv.
3) Arab Participation in Protests Continue to Increase
As I wrote in a diary recently:
In Israel right now, despite the bombs and rockets falling everywhere, we're seeing a startling, stark reality: this principle of separation is slowly, unintentionally, falling away. The examples are endless as Palestinians have begun to weave themselves into the fabric of the protests...they are joining cooperatively, championing the same economic and social demands that Israeli Jews are rallying and marching about. And they are doing so largely with open arms from Israeli Jews.
Protesters with a sign in Tel Aviv that reads "Egypt is Here."