One of the main reasons I came to Israel was for the cheaper university tuition. Nothing in America is more expensive to a teenager than the hope of getting a degree from a good university.
If you go to a public school you still have to pay for books, school supplies and living arrangements. And, if you are like me and make the choice to go to a private university, then your dream is more like a fantasy with huge loans that will be a nightmare for the rest of your life.
I find the move to change the current educational system and make the universities in Israel private shocking. Not only is this a dramatic change - it is deceitful to the students who believed that tuition was actually going to be cut in half under the new law.
As a student who fled the American school system – that is, where colleges are run more like businesses - I am more than angry to see Israel choosing to adopt this as a US-style move. How can the Israeli government take months to pass a budget, years to decide where the separation fence will be built, but poof, just like that, it decides that tuition will more than double for the next school year.
And as upset with the government as I am, I am more upset with the students. Wednesday's strike did not even make it into the news broadcasts' top stories of the day. In fact, I spoke to some students who didn't even know there was a strike. I know the students are outraged with the decision but where is the unity and the fight to change the outcome?
The students need more than a strike, they need protests, they need PR for their cause and they need support. Their struggle is more than just and with all the political evil within the Knesset, this is one law that must be changed and one cause that should enjoy Knesset consensus.
To the students I say this: Take action before the action is taken from you. Education is a fundamental right and you shouldn't worry about not affording it. Use your knowledge and your determination to prove to the government just how wrong this move is.
And, don't stop, you must come at them with ferocity until these so-called lawmakers get your point and undo the damage before it is too late for you and the next generation. A strong and united voice - that's the key to being heard.
As for the government who decided to privatize the system, I say this: I'm a new immigrant who took great satisfaction in knowing my future children would one day have many options to go to an affordable and accredited university in Israel. They would not have to pay off loans for the rest of their life like mommy and worry about how to make their daily ends meet.
With all the economic problems Israel has, why go and do something like this? Surely there is a "How to be a Government Minister for Dummies" book out there and you can just read how detrimental this problem will be if you go through with your decision. Is it just because the ministers don’t care? Are you doing it for yourselves? Or, perhaps it was because you did not get a proper education.
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