Dozens surrounded Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer, crying out "Where's our money?" and calling against exporting gas. Police officers at the scene guarded Fischer from the crowd and helped him to his car. No one was arrested.
The protesters arrived at Tel Aviv after some 400 demonstrated in front of the Ramat Gan residence of Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom ,against his intention to export natural gas.
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The protesters were carrying signs reading "Thsuva will laugh, we will cry," referring to businessman Yitzhak Tshuva ,and "Won't give gas to tycoons."
Mor Gilboa, director general of the Megama Yeruka environmental group, said that "Natural gas can serve us for dozens of years and cheapen costs of living. That's the message we would like to deliver to the minister."
Stanley Fischer (Photo: David Cohen)
Photo: Gilad Morag
Protesters in Ramat Gan (Photo: Motti Kimchi)
(Photo: Motti Kimchi)
(Photo: Motti Kimchi)
Michal Shukrun, also with Megama Yeruka, said "We understand there isn’t enough gas to export and demand that the issue be examined in a public discussion in the Knesset and not in a closet cabinet meeting."
"We are here to stop the robbing of billions of shekels under the radar of citizens to whom this gas belongs," said Orly Bar-Lev, a social activist.
Another protester, Oded Rosen said "We want to make sure that they don’t make a hasty decision, so that we don’t face a reality in which there isn’t enough gas for the country. We need to open the issue to a public debate."
Earlier Saturday, Some 25 people were protesting in front of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 'shouse in Caesarea against the government's economic policy.