oh, so now Israeli Arabs are an integral part of Israel, huh? Is that because you smell $$$$? You didn't seem to believe you were integral when Hizbullah was lobbing rockets into Israel, or your population offered support to "Palestinian" terrorists" and rejected the only two obligations you actually have - paying taxes in full and National Service. Benefits do not come devoid of obligations.

"what's good for Arabs is good for the entire country" - you mean things like sedition and violent nakba protests, and partial tax payments? "or else we'll escalate our protest and take conventional and unconventional measures available under a democratic regime." Sounds like a threat to me. Before anyone can even comment the Arabs are already makes threats. Are the unconventional measures they're referring to the actions of Tibi, Bishara, Salah, Zoabi, and others?

there exists a general problem all over Israel for affordable housing and it effects the Arab sector as well as the Jewish one, the Druze and the Bedouin, the secular and the religious, in both Israel and beyond the Green Line (disputed territories of Judea and Samaria).

Abut time arabs join th eprotest as the housing problem is even more sever in th arab sector. It's about time elected arab figures protest for something that actually help the local arab community.

These are all serious issues that need to be seriously addressed. But also keep in mind that there are forces behind the mass protests whose real goal is just to topple the government, not to help anyone with anything.

what a joke! yes yes I agree! The Jews of Israel should be expanding in the North at a rapid rate, building mini palaces and 3-floor family dwellings all over the Galil and, like the Arabs, not paying taxes! Yes Yes let's be fair. allow the Jews to live in luxury homes and buy land buy land buy land. Just like the Arabs of Israel.

yep indeed.

to the gov any plane, even if the gov will approve cheaper housing, will it be posible in global economy crisis and since elections r in a year and a half than this rally is maximus stupid, unless in Israel you can build houses in less than a year for the masses, the areas for building apartments in such small country r getting fewer by the minute.

You have to be really stupid to believe this is really about affordable housing. It's not about the doctor's strike either. This is about finding pretexts to attack Netanyahu. Much of the finding comes from the New Israel Fund, an anti-Israel group. You can guess the ulterior motive behind this - it's all part of the Palestinian bid at the UN. This is about returning to the phoney ''border'' pre-1967, including Jerusalem. Another PM would give in to demands, for example, that bitter loser & opportunist, Livni. I leave it to the reader to figure out how evicting 500,000 Jews from their homes in Judea & Samaria & Jerusalem will make housing affordable. Sadly, we have a lot of dupes & useful idiots in this country.

Yes he can build about 40,000 apartments in Tel Aviv and some of the other major cities and he can spend money on the public transport but then what? This isn't Tel Aviv's problem, property is and always has been expensive all over Israel, are they expecting him to start building new buildings in every town and city where property is expensive? I think alot of these protestors have led themselves to believe that when this ends the housing problem will be solved nationwide and new buildings will appear out of thin air rather than take years to build. Fact is this government is not responsible for the problem, its an inherited one. If anything this government has been trying to do something by providing funding to extend the railway into the Negev and is trying to get more people to move there which would bring down property prices. The real problem comes from Israel's ghetto culture whereby different groups all want to live in certain parts of the country The majority of the secular Jews want to live in the centre of the country and so naturally if everybody wants to live in one specific part the country the property prices will be very high there. If your evenly spread around the country that will be reflected in property prices nationwide and the market will stabilize. There is no quick fix here and I am not sure what these people are waiting to see happen? I just hope all this doesn't lead to a hardline socialist government after the next election with big plans to borrow billions to pay for a social revolution and screw up the economy

You're spot on Julie but there seems to be one little problem here... the arabs don't BUY land, they take it, they simply help themselves and even build WITHOUT permits. Just think what would happen with a house full to the ceiling with muzzies and an earthquake hit. They'd wish they'd stayed in the Desert!

thankx guys for joining

join us in other things too. your leaders preveny you from being as one with us and we are unhappy about it. i'm happy tou did it this time!!!!

your leadrs always try to set you a part. but this it how we should do things- together!

If you are Druze, then yes, you serve in the IDF and you should have housing with all consideration the Jews have. If you are Bedouin, then yes, your blood-pact with the State of Israel means not only do you volunteer and serve on the front lines, but you also have housing and as much consideration as your culture enables you to accept. If you are a Christian Arab, you are entitled to housing and consideration as well as Israel protecting you from your Muslim neighbors, so you don't have to chant "Death to Israel, Death to America" to avoid losing your property (or life) to the Muslims running your town. Also please support the IDF, and please let your neighbors keep their faith and they will do the same for you. But if you are "occupied" by your enemy Israel, or if you were taught that getting rid of the Jews from the river to the sea is an imperative of Islam ... then you have 22 other countries. You are not limited to Israel, and will be welcome to move to a Muslim state. If you aren't any of the above people, then one question only: do you support Jewish Israel? If you do, then support Israel as a Jewish State and have one law for Jews and for you who dwell among them, including a place to live (which from these articles seems to be an entitlement). okay - there are probably lots of problems with the above. Please critique gently, thanks!

there are good arabs who want to live as israelis (not palestinians) with us in peace! they are welcome!

Empy Gush Katif of 3000 families brought this Havock of housing. Emptying 500,000 homes will make prices skyrocket. I guess leftist are ignorant but there is nothing to talk, no brains.

Get real!

But plenty of free real estate in Baka el Sharkiye: just move 500 m eastward.

members, so much for good arabs.

self-serving arab politicians who think and act only for themselves not their israeli-arab constituents. next hey should act like civil citizens of israel and demand civil right so long as they mouth nationbalistic ideas, philosophies, delusions they will remain outside of israeli society. they should not expect the state to consider them if they do not contribute to the state of israel. so long as you act, think, agitate as if you are outside the state then you shrieked your civil responsibilities as a citizen of israel. claim your civil rights but if you want nationalistic rights as an arab in israel that does not exist.