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Likud MK: Protestors are leftists
Attila Somfalvi
Published: 05.08.11, 00:56
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1. This "protest" has degraded into something else
EZRA THE PROUD JEW ,   USA-ISRAEL   (08.05.11)
There isn't any organization, only vehemence and anger, finger pointing and opportunism. It has lost it's legitimacy as we've become divisive and silly. Where is the formation of a NON-PARTISAN COLLECTIVE NGO OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE!? Shall we remain in tents? Wait for every squeaky wheel to come along and dilute any legitimate concerns? This looks like berkley college in the US: rabble rousing hippies with no clear agenda (the majority of whom run wall street today, which reveals JUST how aimless they were back then). Go form a non-partisan government oversight NGO and set up continuous boycotts if it's so bad. DONT rent any new apartments if it's so bad. Don't buy any new units if it's so bad. Refuse in unity, to pay exhorbinant sums of money to anyone: THAT is your right: no government can tell you otherwise. This "protest" has lost it's steam, it's head, it's lucidity and it's "bite". If it were "real"...alot more would have been done by now. Protests are a silly thing of a bygone cult (look at the "Arab spring"...that worked out well huh?). Organizing and laying out sophisticated solutions to counter greed and corruption is the way of the future...it just isn't as immediately satisfying as an ongoing, "exciting" protest but it is FAE more effective. Very sad to see Israelis behaving like everyone else: unsophisticated and aimless: aside from housing gripes, I've forgotten what this "portest" is about...aside from opportunism. Take it to a venue and clarify your positions: put it on paper, utilize media, pressure the powers that be through these more intelligent and effective means. Right now it just became a silly rant, not a legitimate protest. So desperate indeed.
2. This is one of the issues NOT A RIGHT OR LEFT THING
Levi ,   Karmiel   (08.05.11)
I am a rightest and support this social movement. Prices are to high here we all know it. We are working slaves and have worked hard with many of us with nothing to show for it. LOWER THE PRICES WE DO NOT CARE HOW YOU DO IT JUST DO IT. PERIOD We can not afford this anymore. GET IT FIXED.
3. Should this come as a surprise?
Dan ,   USA   (08.05.11)
The protesters are leftists. Should this come as a surprise? You probably don't have to go too far to trace the "protests'" command and control center to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
4. A Better Idea
John Cone ,   USA   (08.05.11)
This is my opinion I have no problems with protest dealing with high home values in Israel. The problem is I believe in my opinion that these demonstrations may have been hijacked or inspired from outside governments. Everyone wants lower-cost and the right to live a normal life but when many of these leaders of these groups won't negotiate with the government, and many of these people who are leaders of these protest have a problem with the Israeli national anthem being sung as claimed by the right wing groups who initially supported the protest if this is true there is problem. Is this a group trying to make a better life in Israel at a lower cost or is it a group that's trying to emulate the Arab spring to overthrow a democratically elected Israeli government. If so who is controlling these groups how are they getting funded one has to wonder why people like Livni gets involved. Organizations such as these take a lot of money to run after all how are these people living are these people paying for these protest etc. As far as the increased prices of houses there is a danger that if you try and lower housing costs too much around the country you'll create a housing bubble in which people most people who own houses and apartments will owe more on the mortgages than the value of their house. This is what is happening in the United States where some houses have dropped in price 50% in some areas and many houses have been abandoned or foreclosed. Is obvious to me that many of these protest are linked to the Palestinian declaration bid at the United Nations in September. It is obvious also to me that some outside forces may be using these demonstrations to put pressure on the Israeli government. Someone needs to look into this and investigate. The best way for there to be lower housing costs is to build more houses with less bureaucracy not only in areas outside of the major population centers but also on the West Bank as much as the left will not like to hear that because in this way a housing implosion and pricing bust will not take place. As far as your free public education is concerned I've no problems with that however free university education if I understand that to be one of the demands is totally ridiculous. Very few countries have free university education in the United States the average student whose education is not free are thousands of dollars in debt. The cost in the United States is astronomical and dangerous but no one is asking for a free university education. Now at the same time veterans in the United States have gotten aid to go to universities under the Veterans Administration maybe something like that can be developed. But it is my firm belief that there may be foreign government involvement in some of these protest put pressure on the Israeli government. It is not coincidental that opposition leader Livni was against the investigation of foreign government funding of leftist groups. They should be exposed if it's true and investigated.
5. MK Regev - HEY YES YOU
Pinhas Bayit ,   Bet HaKerem   (08.05.11)
You forgot, you have no compassion, you have only self-interest and you are lead by a man who we stupidly allowed in to do it all over again - prove to us that he doesn't give a sh*t for anyone but himself and now it's too late because he's finished - again!
6. Yup, we all are!
Pinhas Bayit ,   Bet HaKerem   (08.05.11)
The cab drivers, the doctors, the teachers, the dairymen and all those educated and trained young people who can't afford homes - they're all LEFTY. And then there's all those generals and heads of secret service and intelligence who have dared to criticise the suicidally indecisive vacuous government of Bibi and Yvet - they're all STALINISTS. And then there's those COMMIE mothers with baby strollers or maybe it's the reverse, those COMMIE babies with mothers, yeah that's it, all those babies are TROTSKYITES. And as for MK Regev and the challenges the Likud faces, it's not the lousy party that's at stake Motek, IT'S THE WHOLE COUNTRY!
7. Only leftists, eh?
Robert Haymond ,   Israel/Canada   (08.05.11)
What about the tent city in Tekoa, a Yishuv east of the Green Line. It's all populated by religious zionists.
8. left n right is not valid anymore,
(08.05.11)
9. leftist ploy
Joseph Charlap ,   Jerusalem   (08.05.11)
That is such a typical rightist remark to turn everything into a leftist plot. Ayoob Kara, grow up.
10. the truth, summed up simply
E. G. Marsch ,   Nahariya   (08.05.11)
Israel's economy is on the whole a great success story, and the country is much richer than 20 or 30 years ago, thanks to free-market reforms.. There are some problems that create high prices--cartels, concentrations of wealth and power, lack of competition. The solution is to create more and more economic freedom and competition--not less. The radical-left-driven protest is trying to pull exactly the kinds of Likudniks described in this article away from Likud, so they can beat the center-right bloc in the next election. Anybody remember the failed Lebanon War, and thousands of rockets on Sderot before there was another failed war? That is, anyone remember the previous left-of-center government and its failures? Were there not "social problems" under that government? If you think socialism--the welfare state, government bureaucrats taking care of us, instead of us taking care of ourselves--works well and is the solution, please cast your gaze a little northward and westward toward Greece, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, and Obama's America, where the debt now stands at $14 trillion and unemployment is over 10 percent. Isn't unemployment a "social problem"? Under Netanyahu and Steinitz, Israel's unemployment is at a record low. To repeat, the problem of high prices can be solved through continuing free-market reforms, not through silly, outmoded, a-thousand-times-disproven "welfare state" solutions.
11. Simple solution:
Moshe ,   Netanya   (08.05.11)
Dairy farmers should build a factory where they will pack the 1% milk (only one most people should drink) and sell it. So these milk would not cost 2.5 times the US price. Taxi drivers should find jobs. Middle class don't drive taxis. MD's should get cut in their salary and stop working on the side. Any strike leads to price increase on everything by 5-7%. As to housing problem, invite 50000 construction professionals to build houses, not the amatures that do this kind of work now.
12. and to think
JL   (08.05.11)
i once used to vote for the Likud...i helped put the very people who use us as a floor mat in power...he calls us leftists...off with thier heads
13. Cost Of Living
Kevin J Lee ,   Barrhead.Scotland.   (08.05.11)
Such a display of arrogance by Likud to dismiss poverty protesters as a bunch of lefties.
14. We are all together
Norman Gellman ,   Rehovot   (08.05.11)
What a lot of “hubris” calling anyone who has a legitimate grievance a “leftist”. Just look around Young Couples, doctors, cab drivers, and dairy farmers all have legitimate claims against Bibi economics. By your definition most of the citizens are leftists. It’s time for the Likud to wake up, perhaps the best thing would be to vote them out of office. Just as an historical note it was just this sort of economics that led to the great depression in the United States in 1029 precipitating the stock market crash. It seems that money given to the wealthy never seems to trickle down to those who need help to survive.
15. an assumption you make at Likuds own risk
zionist forever   (08.05.11)
Certainly in the begining the majority were not leftists, just ordinary people. The students and Hustadrut are on the left but there are still thousands of non leftists out there but they have been attracted to left wing robin hood economics of take from the rich to give to the poor. The left have turned this into some kind of social revolution and a free for all where everybody thinks if they latch onto what started out as a housing protest then any demand is legitimate but they are not all on the left. If Likud assume its all a bunch of leftists then then they risk being forced to fight an early election they won't have a chance of winning.
16. Kara is an Arab MK who the media uses to smear likud
jason ,   haifa israel   (08.05.11)
Enough already
17. likud.
sjoerd ruurd ,   world(-wide)   (08.05.11)
likud is only a party for the rich, elite class. likud does not care about the middle class and the poor class. likud is not a typical religious party. zionism has enough parties to have enough choice to make a well-thought choice in the elections.
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