The “Tent Protest’ began in Tel Aviv when a group of young people
camped out in the city square to draw attention to the high price of housing.
Sunday night tent protesters took to the Jerusalem streets.
The demonstrators carried tents
and signs along a route heading towards the Knesset.
Many chanted loudly,
a few protesters carried Israeli flags.
After stopping briefly to block the intersection at Ruppin Street,
the march headed up the hill towards the Rose Garden to set up the tents,
all the time with police escort.
The price of housing in Jerusalem has risen steadily for a number of reasons,
new construction is for luxury units, impossible to afford on an Israeli salary.
It is a problem for not only for young people,
everyone is affected by the serious housing shortage.
I’ve got to agree and sympathize with them. Israelis, especially the newly released chayalim, have a tough time affording anything these days. Americans, Europeans, South Africans, Australians come with money or money from wealthy parents buy (and only stay in the apts/houses for vacation/yomtovim and then return back to their homes overseas) and invest in properties and drive the prices up over and over again. Israelis and non-wealthy olim don’t have a chance against this. There are 100’s, if not 1000’s of prime properties unused because the owner is not a full time resident. This is frustrating and unfair. Olim are forced to go up North or the “Territories” to get something over their heads. And if one buys in the “territories” who knows if the government won’t come along in a few years, shut down your neighborhood and exile you! What do hardworking Israelis with great emunah, bitachon and large, or any size families do then??????