I wonder if the Gevermnent knows whats reall going on- its time they went out and met the protesters and come down to reality- this seems the beginning of a new age, the age when people can live within their means and earn a decent living every one is effected the pensioners included - I wish the time of change will come soon

This is Labour's opportunity? Are you nuts? One of the major causes of our rather dysfunctional economy is the result of Mapai socialism & it's successor, the corrupt Labour Party. Attila, you miss the point entirely, you're so far off-base you're out of the stadium (that's a baseball metaphor). As is often the case, you journalists need to take some courses in economics. This is such lazy & unprofessional analysis it's pathetic. There is no doubt that people are fed up, as well they should be. Populism, however, is not the answer. Nor are bizarre Leftist nostrums and screwy economic theories. I would be the first to say that our entire political system is crap. I always call our system multi-party bolshevism & this includes Likud for all it's free-market pretentions. The political & economic are inter-twined. Have you ever read Hayek, ''The Road to Serfdom.''??? I bet not. The problem is the Bureaucratic State - you can't have economic freedom without political freedom & vice versa. The problem cannot be solved by more government intervention, quite the contrary. You don't once mention the interplay between oligarchs, politicians, bureaucrats, & unions (particularly public service unions) nor the resulting problem of economic concentration, semi-monopolies & cartels, bureaucratic over-regulation, all of which lead to low productivity & low wages & high prices.

Just like 1969 Woodstock elected McGovern. We still have some wrinkled old hippies around from Woodstock trying to sell us their carefree utopian commune (or kibbutz) lifestyle. So I guess 40 years from now we'll have some wrinkled old socialists from Springstock trying to sell the utopia that was the USSR, Greece and the US. If they get their welfare state then everyone will be living in tents. Banks and governments can only borrow so much for so long until China gets worried they can't pay it back. Then the debts come due and you move into tents. Crunch time will come when the current spree of spending borrowed money turns to "pay up or crash."

This is a real opportunity for Netanyahu to show that all his free market rhetoric isn't just BS. The question is if Netanyahu has the courage of his convictions or is he just another big government bolshevik. Does he have the balls to break up the cartels & semi-monopolies or will he pander to tycoons, favours for the crony capitalists that dominate our economy just like the Left. Time for Netanyahu to put up or shut up.

This protest is the best thing that could have happened to Israel, and to the Likud. In other words, the Likud is fortunate for what is happening. The reason is that Netanyahu, who is greatly, but not only, responsible for Israel's good economic situation, promised in abt. 2002 that his policies would result in a richer Israel for everybody. Now is the time for big macro economic changes, and the lucky Likud has tremendous public support for them.

Israel's Labor Party could never fill Somfalvi's dreams. First of all it could never steer the economy well, to bring economic fruit to our country. And second, everyone knows where the economic policies of the Labor Party lead the economy. To bankruptcy.

There is actually something exceptionally contradictory about the recent mass demonstrations for social justice in Israel. Perhaps there is social and economic distress in Israel but everyone acknowledges that the economy is in excellent condition. It is possible the mass demonstrations emanate from a sort of mass hysteria. Such things happen even in developed enlightened societies. Sure politicians feel pressured now but it will more than likely blow over

Lets hope that Bibi can do it and in a planned and logical way within the time left to him .There doesnt seem to much alternative considering the records of the others from years gone by.

The corrupt so called politicians do not care a bamn for the people. What can be done ?? Kick the bastards out and bring them to justice as is done in Egypt and the other arab nations. No pity must be awarded these swine. Back door wrangling is past GET RID OF THESE CORRUPT LIEING DIRT.!!

Whether Israelis have free daycare or not.

Protest organizers estimate 7.68 million Israelis participated in the latest anti-Netanyahu demonstrations. Every city and public space throughout Israel is supposedly crammed with Bibi haters. Protest organizers and sympathetic media claim the 78,000 Israelis who did NOT join the protest were too old and/or infirm to do so. Puzzled observers wondered how such a universally hated government managed to get elected in the first place and appears on track to easily win the next election.

In 1996 when Netanyahu replaced Peres, the once strong Israeli economy was shattered and Arafat's troops were attacking civilian buses in the heart of Tel Aviv. Under near impossible conditions and constant incitement, Netanyahu stopped the bus bombs and saved the economy. Similar to now, in 1999 the Labor power ranted about "the sick lady in Nahariya", claiming that Netanyahu saved the economy only for the rich and ignored social justice. After the Labor Party seized power, they ignored social issues and concentrated only on building an Arab state, leading to the 2000 dead of the Second Oslo War and again destroying Israel's economy.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. Government services and industry must become more efficient (which may actually lower employment) to get increased services. You cannot get more out of the system that you put in. Housing construction and housing permitting could be much more efficient. This is probably true of many other sectors of the Israeli economy. As soon as the nitty-gritty of achieving a balance starts to play out then factions will be at each other's throat. . Unity in the public's dissatisfaction is not enough. The problem to be solved is how to increase productivity and how to upgrade both employment and skills so that individuals and families are not left behind. Choices will be difficult. And until a meaningful consensus is reached about specifics, as soon as any specific solution is attempted, the currently perceived unity (of dissatisfaction )will fall apart. The danger to Israel is that the existing discord between the various factions will increase and recriminations will poison the current feeling of goodwill and community. Israel lives in a dangerous world. Let it not squander its economic and political advantages over its neighbors .

high import duties allow price control by israeli manufacturers. Im sure the govt needs its import duty, so thats not going to disappear. However, where ever you have a monopoly, you need a commission to control the price, otherwise, you have the present situation. One of the reasons for the economy being in relatively good shape, is that its protected from foreign competition. There is the obvious tradeoff- lower the prices hurt the manufacturer.

if unfortunately (human) evolution is stopped, it can change in revolution, with it"s consequences and repercussions etc. in this case history is a warning/lesson for everybody.

can't protect its citizens is worthless!