What's your proposal Ms. Kadmon? The Greek model? Spain? The Obama model? Who do you propose to replace the current government with? Tzipi Livni's Kadima? Labor? Don't try to twist a genuine outcry into your own narrow political agenda.

that all this sinister bullshit is happening while the Knesset is on summer recess. Who do you think you're kidding, Sima?

but you've missed the whole point...

How about the German and Swedish way with strong economies and social projects for all their citizens. Not all social democracies fall. Only those that aren't handled correctly. Stop trying to scare everyone and use your brain for a change.

What does ''social justice'' really mean? At first reading, you think you know what it means. But, do you really? ''Social justice'' certainly sounds good, how could anyone oppose it? But, how do you put it into practice? Does it mean socialism, the 19th century failed ideology? Does it mean the redistribution of wealth from one class to another? Does it mean nationalizing industries, something which has failed all over the world? Does it mean price controls, rent controls, also policies that have failed everywhere? Does it mean government will set wages? What exactly are we talking about here? What these people have in enthusiasm they lack in brains, in my opinion. Or is this all BS, a lot of rhetoric with a completely different agenda? No one denies that there are legitimate problems, legitimate complaints. But, I'd like legitimate solutions, not rhetoric & slogans.. I would like REAL solutions, not utopian rhetoric with perhaps a hidden agenda. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Remember that catchy line? ''You have nothing to lose but your chains.'' And then Lenin & Stalin forged chains the Czars could only dream of. Millions died, millions went to the Gulag. Millions of others endured a grim existence for generations. Chairman Mao had some catchy slogans, he put them all together in his ''Red Book'' that many brainless Western college kids held up - except that Mao was a mass murderer who killed millions & millions to achieve ''utopia'' ..... Fidel Castro used to give 6 & 7 hour speeches about his vision of utopia. I suppose that's why millions of Cubans swam to Miami to escape ''utopia'' .... North Korea is also utopia, the worker's paradise. Millions have starved to death, eating grass, dirt, & the bark of trees can do that. Now, I'm not suggesting anything by these examples, the extreme cases. After all, we have lesser utopias in Greece & Spain, both near bankruptcy, super-high unemployment, riots in the streets, & a very unfortunate future ahead of them. And, if you don't want to look so far away, just look at how prosperous Israel was in the 1950's - 1970's. Anyone remember those ''good old days'' ???

How can we achieve social justice when something as important as the news is in the hands of ''piggish capitalists'' who only care about money & profits, motivated by greed rather than concepts of social justice? This is intolerable. All the media must be taken out of the hands of these greedy capitalists & put under the control of the people's representatives. Journalism must advance the cause of social justice. We will create a new Minister of Media & this new bureaucracy will regulate salaries, improve the working conditions of the exploited workers, & advance social awareness. And, to improve efficiency, we only need one newspaper, one radio station, & one TV station.

The protest is really not against the current administration but all previous administrations including and especiallly Labor which has kept the cost of living high and salaries low. The salaries have not kept up with the cost of living index and now it has taken its toll. This is the first government which KNOWs how to tackle. it. Support them.

Israel's economy needs drastic reforms which should have happened in the 1980s. They are way overdue. There is far too much govt intervention in the economy. Export Subsidies, monopolies, price controls, import barriers , lack of competition, favoritism, cronyism, corruption. These must go. But the protestors demand to increase govt intervention. They are violently against the only things which will solve the problem. Israel is therefore doomed. The needed reforms should have been done 30 years ago. Now its too late.

I wish I could slam this journalist's credentials and opinions. Obviously the people who do have all the things I don't have. I'm jealous! Those who attack must have better housing, health care and education for their children than I do after years of paying taxes, working hard and sending kids to the army. I wish I didn't have to protest against the government's policies and that everything was as good as the folk who attack without foundation. Think for a few minutes before you fail to realise that you are part of it too. Wake up, and stop simply being rude.

I attended the mass demonstration. I am for: 1: Power to the people: The governmental system should be changed: Presidential government-direct elected. Knests members-direct elected. Kneset members will not take part in the government 2:Econamical incentives to citizens contributing to society. *Differentiate social benefits: The ones fulfilling their citizen's ship duties should be get priority on housing, education from children garden up university, lower income duties, lower and differentiated VAT .. *The government should encourage industry and start ups to move from the Dan area to Galil and Negev. -I oppose: *Changing the current government *Politicians attempt to split the people between left, right, secular, religions, Ashkenazi, Sfaradi

This is democracy.

Just because 300,000 (less than 5% of the population) want a change in priorities does not indicate that they want a change in their leadership. Most of the people want Netanyahu to make the change. Have a little patience and wait for the elections to see if the people want a change in leadership. So far the polls say otherwise and do not support your wishful thinking.

and may i ask you , what is wrong with tzipi livni ? how will we know if she is better or not if we dont try ? and for now , i realy do belive that anyone else would do a better job than this screwd up government , netanyahoo and libermen are the worst leaders humanity has ever known ,....

That this is FAR from being "merely" a protest of the left. It is a protest of the nation- taxi drivers (only leftists?), doctors, teachers, nurses, lorry drivers (all leftists?), mothers (all leftists?), etc etc etc It is a protests about the disdain that this government led by Netanyahu and Lieberman has for the citizens. Two years of nothing but speeches, of elitism, of special interests, of only caring about settlers and haredim. That is what caused the boiling point. Keep giving speeches, Netanyahu. Pure B.S. from B.B. When all the government and Knesset care about is screwing Arabs and leftists, the country goes to hell.

It is very simple, Terry, even for an extremely complex mind, as your own. It is a model of a Welfare State, as practiced in several European countries and Australia. All your other derogatory labels are stupid and irrelevant. It is a working model in those countries and can be adapted to the special conditions of Israel. It sort of depends whether you and your ilk have the decency to accept an ideology of social justice towards your fellow citizens or not.

like Bashar Assad or Nasrallah

What does Netanyahu have to do with problems that were 60 years in the making? The evolution in the cost of living is the product of many years, many governments, & many rather poor decisions. Didn't all these problems exist under Labour governments? Under Kadima? Under previous Likud governments? Why suddenly point the finger at Netanyahu? Did Netanyahu single-handedly create a housing shortage? Did he raise prices on real estate? Is Netanyahu in charge of the price of cottage cheese? Does Netanyahu own all the supermarkets that rip us off every time we shop? What about electricity? Does Netanyahu own the Electric Company? Did Netanyahu decide on your salary? Is Netanyahu running the Kupat Holim & all the hospitals? So, why this ''blame Netanyahu'' frenzy? I like the cottage cheese example & I'll tell you why. It was apolitical. It was focused. It aimed at those actually responsible. And, it's goals were achievable. It was an honest protest with no ulterior motive. It was not financed by dubioius interests, it was spontaneous.

Sima Kadmon is one of the old - time snide bashers from the Extreme Left. She is simply doing what many are doing turning the vast socio-economic protest into a political game aimed at serving one element in the population. But the problems are problems for Israeli citizens regardless of political affiliation. And the real questions are ones of priority and balance. After all the Government cannot simply open up the printing press and instantly satisfy all demands. There must be dialogue and reconsideration of priorities. And there too must not be the kind of irresponsibility that would lead the country to massive deficit and debt.

There is roughly 6 million Jews living in Israel so that makes last nights turn out relatively small. I don’t thing they all came to hear the speakers, I am a rightist and if I lived in TA I would have gone for the free concert which I believe many did if I was not religious. Next time do it with out music and may I add during the 3 weeks we are not meant to listen to such public music that’s why you did not see any kipot there and see what the turn out would be. All governments run into the same problems during their reign if a left one would be in I a sure you there would be the same trouble as now. The Doctors and nurses have always been underpaid and so to teachers and many private sector workers too like me. I voted for this government I am still willing to give them a chance. Sit down and negotiate or have you forgotten how to do that. Yes there are ways to save money for example stop giving to the Palestinian authority and tax the rich higher taxes that will make them watch their spending.

rock! They swing. They yell. Nobody gets hurt. They will get tired and then... it is bed time folks. Laila tov.

advances to the point that she was clearly in the 'WESTERN" economic sphere. come along these useless whiners with an obvious political agenda bordering on economic anarchy. Gimme gimme gimme gimme ought to be their rallying cry for they represent the 'poor masses' (sic). They represent the old protected protexia ridden unions and protected government workers who are sitting and bitching while planing their next vacation to who the hell knows where. They urge the everyday petz who really havent got a clue as to whats happening to come along for a community bitchfest on a hot Sat nite. End of story...Its summertime, crank up the BBQ and stop the bitchfest. You are starting to look silly. There are three kinds of people in this world. 1) Those who make things happen. 2) Those to whom things happen. 3) Those who havent got a clue as to whats happening. These lefty petz have grabbed those who havnt got a clue for a ride to hell.

He probably saw it with Sara on his home cinema system in the basement of his villa in Caesaria. But even if he did see it, that doesn't mean he gives a damn. He'll no doubt get his underlings to draw up some plan to throw some peanuts to the monkeys to quieten them down a bit.

This protest is not political. People aren't stupid, we know when the problems began and it wasn't under Bibi but under Kadima (I voted Kadima last election). Kadima did more than nothing about it. There were leftist, rightist, the religious and the secular of all ages out there on the streets.

This journalist is making her living bashing Bibi. Since Bibi came became Prime Minister, she has written countless negative articles about his government - always focusing only on the negative and ignoring the positive. I am not saying I support this government 100%, but this kind of one-sided demagogic journalism is a disgrace for the profession.

Let's skip the BS & stay focused. What exactly, in detail, is your solution to the housing crisis? No rhetoric, no vague slogans. Only specifics. Please include background as to the causes of high housing costs, approx. what your idea would cost, how it would be financed, & how long it would take to implement. By the way, all your examples have freer markets & less gov't. intervention in the economy than we do, particularly Australia. And, all these countries (I assume you mean Scandanavia) have been moving to the Right, meaning LESS not MORE gov't. intervention. I only wish our country would follow the Australian example. The Australian economy is not characterized by large, unaccountable bureaucracy, cartels & semi-monopolies, oligarchs, unaccountable politicians, protectionist trade policies, nor do they have rent-control, wage control, they have a FREE MARKET, competition, which is why they are more successful than we are.

Are we actually unhappy because Bibi doesn't live in a lean-to like Ben-Gurion? What nonsense. Yes, some changes should be undertaken - like any other country, Israel can use them - but this protest and its declared purposes are ignorant, immature and naive.

and yes then Israel will return to the 1950's--actually there should be subsidized housing but beyond that there should be less freebees. Open your eyes dear protesters,. the US is sinking. and with it may go the Israeli economy