So many things happened in Israel during my visit home: the terrorist attack on the way to Eilat, rockets over my home town of Ashkelon, preparing for the discussion over a Palestinian state on Sept. 20, angry Erdogan in Turkey and the attack on the Israeli embassy in Egypt. Well, I guess it’s not a secret that in Israel there is never a dull moment…
But another important thing happened in Israel during my stay. I am not talking about anything security-related, or foreign affairs issues. I am talking about a social movement, one that has the support of more than 85 percent of the Israelis.
It all started one day when a young man from the city of B’nei Brak, Israel, decided to open a Facebook group. This group called for Israelis to stop buying cottage cheese because of its inordinately high price. Although that cheese is an important ingredient on the Israeli breakfast/dinner table, this peaceful boycott worked. People stopped buying cottage cheese. As a result, the price has gone back down to reasonable levels.
This one act of social networking set the dominoes into motion. Following the cottage cheese boycott, another important movement in Israel occurred. A group of approximately 100 young people set up tents in the center of Tel Aviv, one of the most expensive cities in the world, to protest the high cost of living, and the fact that it is nearly impossible today for young couples to afford to purchase their own homes in Israel. Word spread quickly, and Israelis from across the country were soon joining the protest in their own cities.
Hundreds of thousands of people marched on the streets time and time again; left wing, right wing, religious, seculars, Arabs, students, young families, elderly, etc. walking together in peace, shouting “The people want social justice!” At the end of every demonstration in every city, famous Israeli singers performed and showed their support. In the tent cities that sprang up across Israel, the peaceful protest continued, with young people playing guitars, singing, discussing social justice issues and talking to academics, Rabbis, Knesset members, etc. All of it without a hint of violence.
The result: The protests caused the government to set a committee to devise ways to reduce the high cost of living. All Israelis are awaiting the results.
One must understand this is very different than the protests for freedom and democracy taking place in the Arab world. We already have freedom and democracy in Israel, so these recent Israeli demonstrations are not a threat to democracy. Simply put, they are a cultural shift in Israeli society. For years, people in Israel complained in front of the TV and never did more than that — a problem common to all democracies. Today, something is different: people believe that they can change their lives more than once every four years.
I dare say that I invite democracies around the world to watch and learn how a social protest can be done to effect change in a positive way.
If you would like to discuss Israeli current events, history, or anything about Israel, please remember to contact me at 913-327-8124, , or find me on Facebook. I look forward to talking to you!
