Protest leaders seek expert advice
Ahead of meeting with PM's social team, activists meet with senior professors to discuss strategy
Some of the protest's leaders, including Daphni Leef, Stav Shafir and Barak Segal, as well as senior professors from the Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion universities, were present at the meeting, which took place near Rothschild Boulevard's "tent city" in Tel Aviv.
- Receive Ynetnews updates
directly to your desktop
Some of the experts expressed doubt about the efficiency of the upcoming talks.
"For years, the government pretended that this is a necessity, while in actuality acts of fraud were being committed," Hebrew University economist Proferssor Joseph Zeira said. "This is the same maneuver they are pulling today: To establish a team of experts. In reality, they say 'this is not a public issue.' This is why we have to be careful. You hear what the people want here."
'Opportunity can't be missed'
Professor Yossi Yonah, of Ben Gurion University's Education Department, said that "the economy should serve society and not vice versa. This issue should be addressed… This is an opportunity and if it is missed, we will fall into an abyss."
"We should strive for results even when we know that they are partial," said Yoav Kraim, an activist for the rights of people with disabilities. "There should be a clear front. We should think about a number of goals that the struggle aims to achieve. I would expect you to distribute this list within the public and social organizations in order to receive feedback and process it. I fear that if the negotiations end without something concrete, the Israeli public will resume its apathy."
Netanyahu's social committee, dubbed the "Rothschild team," gathered for the first time earlier Tuesday to discuss possible solutions to the protest.
Professor Manuel Trachtenberg, who heads the committee, said that he was "thrilled at the rare opportunity to instigate positive change in our beloved state. We have no choice but to succeed in the mission."
Noting the significance of the meeting taking place on Tisha B'Av, the day marking the destruction of Jerusalem's first and second temples, he said: "Beyond destruction, (the day) also symbolizes a new beginning for the Jewish people."
"I hope that the commencement of the team's work on this day will symbolize the beginning of a better future," he said.
Yoav Zitun contributed to the report
- Follow Ynetnews on Facebook
