'Tower of Justice' near Yakum
Photo: Ram Mastrovitz
Housing crisis continues
Photo: Gil Yohanan
'Social settlement' erected near coastal highway
Activists build 'tower and stockade' style settlement in central Israel in effort to 'increase public awareness to State's housing crimes'
A group of social activists
has erected a compound which they are calling "the first social settlement" in the Yakum area near the Coastal Highway. The compound was erected overnigh in the style of the historic tower and stockade outposts, a settlement method used in the days of the British Mandate.
Social activist Eran Brill told Ynet that there are at least 20 people at the compound including secular, religious Zionists and haredim, who have built the tower with tents around in an effort to "increase public awareness of the State's housing crimes."
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According to Brill, "The land belongs to the Jewish National Fund, which may be considered private land, but in reality it's the State's money laundering 'facility'." He noted that "Two police officers on motorcycles" arrived during the night, but "they only requested that the activists stay away from the main road."
'Justice Tower' (Photo: Ram Mastrovitz)
Brill added that "When people wake up in the morning they will discover that a new town has been established – Justice Tower."
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According to the activists' Facebook page, "At this very moment, the first social settlement in Israel is under construction. They don't want to build? They don't need to, we'll build it ourselves."
They added that a "tower of justice" was erected with the purpose of "creating a reality and fix it firmly on site and in (peoples') consciousness." Signs were put up in the "outpost" with slogans reading: "Housing for sane prices" housing for students and more.
Videos taken by the activists show that the compound was inspired by the Zionist settlement operations from the British Mandate known as 'tower and stockade' which saw over 50 towns formed between 1936 and 1939, a majority of which were built in the upper Galilee and Beit She'an Valley.
A Turkish Ottoman law that was in effect during the Mandate period stated that any illegal building may not be demolished if its roof has been completed.
The Knesset is set to hold a meet on public housing on Tuesday.
On Saturday night Haifa resident Moshe Silman, set himself on fire during a march for social justice on Tel Aviv's Kaplan street and was rushed to the Sourasky Medical Center suffering from third degree burns on 80% of his body.
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