ISRAEL: Arab Israelis and Druze join Israeli public protests over soaring housing prices and the high cost of living

Record ID: 395908

  • Title: ISRAEL: Arab Israelis and Druze join Israeli public protests over soaring housing prices and the high cost of living
  • Date: 15th August 2011
  • Summary: JAFFA, ISRAEL (RECENT) (REUTERS) PROTEST CAMP IN JAFFA TENTS
  • Embargoed: 30th August 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel, Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Economic News,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAC748HZ3BFFGLHFUSA3303CNC0
  • Story Text: Born out of outrage over Israel's sky-high property prices, this protest movement has moved in less than a month into a nation-wide phenomenon that represents a mammoth mix of constituencies embracing many strands of Israeli society.
    Arab-Israelis in Jaffa joined the nation wide protests calling for economic reform.
    They also want equality in the Israeli community.
    "We have problems in Jaffa like theirs (Israelis); high prices of houses and we want apartments. But we have our own problems as Arabs in Jaffa such as many Israelis do not rent and sell to Arabs. When I wanted to rent a house, the Jewish owner told me 'I prefer to rent to a man addicted to drugs than renting to you,'' said Arab Israeli protester Amani Abu Shmis.
    But some say the price hike in living costs is too much and they don't want to turn to illegal means to make an income.
    "They have to increase the benefits on loans, prices of houses and prices of rent in order to take part of it. It is really a hard situation. We do not want to do things that we will be angry about doing one day. I do not want to sell drugs or anything. I want to live like humans with a family, wife and children," said another protester, Musa Al Itim.
    Around 17,000 Arab Israeli residents make up one third of the population in the historical city.
    In Tel Aviv's Rothschild Boulevard -- an elegant, upmarket thoroughfare dotted with famous, fiercely expensive Bauhaus apartment blocks -- Druze have set up their own protest camp.
    "The committee to promote the status of the Druze joins this protest in Tel Aviv, protesting against the lack of land for the soldiers after they serve in the army. The Druze community is part of the Israeli state so we joined these protests, social protests. We joined here to help the Druze in all areas,'' said protester Khatar Halabi.
    The protests have put pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has named a 14-member panel of experts led by economist Manuel Trajtenberg to deliver proposals for changes within a month.
    The unrest comes despite projected economic growth of 4.8 percent this year and relatively low unemployment of 5.7 percent.
    Analysts believe it will offer just enough concessions to deflate the movement and ministers hope that once universities and schools reopen next month, the hordes milling down Rothschild will melt away just as fast as they appeared.
    In Yirka members of the Druze community said they are faced with housing problems which must be resolved.
    "We joined the all the citizens in their protests. We also have our own problems such as building new houses. More than 6000 houses without permits, and the reason, due to the government's law of not giving permits to newly married couples. Also they haven't increased the village's space for tens of years,'' said one of the Druze leaders Sheikh Ali Maadi.
    Around 122,000 Druze live in Israel and many of them have served in the army since 1948.
    Protests broke out nation-wide in Israel last month with student-led activists demanding lower rent and land ownership prices. Demonstrations escalated and on Saturday (August 13) 100,000 people marched through Israel demanding lower living costs.
    Unlike the Arab Spring revolts that have redrawn the Middle East this year, Israelis are not seeking regime change. Protests have not turned violent in Tel Aviv, with crowds even waiting at traffic lights during their marches to underscore that they are law-abiding citizens.
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