The left and the media are doubly mad they were sure Lapid would follow in his father's anti relgious footsteps and also be against the settlers They are doubly dissapointed not ony re the social issues, if the right had betrayed the right like Sharon did the media would be silent of course.

Not long ago Lapid was telling us how he planned to be the next PM within 16 months. He campaigned on an anti haredi platform and for a time it worked fine and further increased his populairity. Now he has had to take politics seriously not just rely on popular anti haredi policies and the result is its turned him into the most hated man in the Knesset. The left may well win the next election but Yesh Atid & Lapid just like Kadima will go from being one of the largest parties to one of the smallest. The haredi may well be the ones having the last laugh after the next election with the haredi parties gaining more seats than Lapid.

Everyone thinks the world will change the day after an election. That's not how it works, I believe Lapid is sincere and it takes time. You protestors are way too naive and impatient. Don't kill the golden goose.

are protesting against him. Israeli politics is street theatre without the stage. 120 clowns in the Knesset all having a good time on the backs of the ones being entertained and fleeced at the same time.

These people have to understand that when every sector gets what they want, the result is a deficit and if it is not faced now, it will swallow all of us. To say "Take from the rich" is nothing more than a socialist policy which has not worked anywhere in the world. Let them make up their mind whether they want a free market system or a safety net from the cradle to the grave because the latter will put them in their graves faster than they expected. The rich are the ones who are giving jobs to most of these protestors and allowing them to earn a living. If you tax them heavily they will simply take their money and go elsewhere; just like they are doing in France. If everyone tightened his belt and increased his productivity instead of going on strikes (like the recent airport) and going on these marches as the Histadrut wants you to do, we will be able to pull out of this. After all, the economy of most of the western world is collapsing and yet we are still floating but the question is who long will this last if we stay on the same course of overspending.

I said that this would happen and thios is nothing yet. As more and more Israelis become poor and poorer, the faster their eyes open to the government ripping them off the larger the social protests will get. What ever happened to the affordable housing Lapid promised? I hope to see a million Israelis protesting and tearing down the knesset brick by brick. The politicians are all liars and the only outcome of these so called "austerity" measures will be Israelis leaving in droves-all the best and the brightest, the youth, heading anywhere else in the world where their taxes are actually used to their benefit. The cost of living here is already one of the highest in the world and the salaries one of the lowest. The new taxes will put tons off cash in the governments pockets but will give us nothing back for them. Any Israeli who thinks that these austerity measures are the only solution can perhaps ask lapid why a car that cost $7000 to make and ship here costs 140 000 shekels? All that money goes in the government's pocket- and that's only one example. All the goods we purchase cost 5-100 times they cost in the west while we make less than a quarter of what people earn in the g8. We are taxed to death and we've had enough! Someone explain how an uneducated port worker makes 40 000 NIS a month and a teacher only 4?! (Again just one example of all the things wrong with this country) Screw Lapid, Bibi and all the lying mouth-breathers in the kneset!

irresponsibility of the Israeli public in full swing. The man is doing his best to clean up a mess and instead of receiving the backing of the public he gets buckets of mud thrown in his face. What do these people think that he can go on a printing spree and hand out money and dig a deeper hole. Wake up folks, there is not a man among you, or in the whole of Israel who would have acted differently.

"ask lapid why a car that cost $7000 to make and ship here costs 140 000 shekels? All that money goes in the government's pocket- and that's only one example." Where do you think the money is coming from exactly to pay for your health care, education, and defense? Socialism costs money.

Israel needs big money from the Wealthy in this squeeze .We have not had a Yovel yet the State is 65 five yearsold the Yoval is every Fifty Year's.A Yoval for all the Nation's would be meritorious.

instead of our tax money going to into services for us, they went as hand outs to the haridim. THAT, is why were are in a deficit. if all of them ACTUALLY worked, there would be more people to tax! Mad respect to those who DO work, and do army service! I have had the honor of knowing a few personally! Yair is doing his job! sucks I have to pay more, but what else is there? if you tax tycoons more, they WILL run away with their money! there is nothing that can be done about that! wake up, and face reality people! If America didn't help us with defense, imagine how much harder life would be in Israel. Be greatful They should do to our Banks, what they did to our to cell phone companies, make laws preventing them from ripping us off with super high fees!! Make them ACTUALLY compete for our business, not sit back, abuse us, and count their profits in the billions!

Yair inherited the financial mess. He is being courageous in his policies. The low turnout at this evening's protest show that #6 #8 & #10 are all correct.

They couldn't even get as many protesters as a fair football game.

Shelly Yahimovitz, who had the choice of representing her electorate had the choice of representing them in government and influencing policy - instead she chose the opposition and bleets from the opposition showing no leadership whatsoever. and insisting that we invest more money in the 25% poor. Except of course that vast sections of the poor are voluntary poor who have chosen to be poor by having more children than they can support themselves. Taxing companies sounds good and easy but it is not so easy, otherwise everyine would do it, after all companies don;t vote - the ramifications are in the sphere of the impact of discouraging investment and job creation - so to an extent his hands are tied. We on the other hand can chnage the situation - by sending a very clear message to companies that do not pay proper taxes that we will not buy their products or servicesuntil they do

make Israel non-Jewish. One of his ways to do this is his attempt to lower the Hareidi birthrate. He should be fired and told not to slam the door on his way out.

OR ...WAS IT BILLIONAIRE LIST?? WHATEVER...MILLION-BILLION THEY SHOULD ALL HELP...

HEZBOLLAH-SYRIAN REBELS GATHER'IN ON NORTHERN BORDER... IRAN WITH NUKES.. ASSAD'S CHEMICAL WEAPONS.. ECONOMY IN TOILET EVERYWHERE... BiBi's ..NOT COME'IN HOME ANYMORE-JUST KIDD'IN & ...IT'S MOTHER'S DAY SUNDAY OHH VEH...

Who are all the drivers inside the good looking cars on the wide, brightly lit and safe road? Are these the tycoons that need to be taxed or the poor Israelis getting home from work, one driver per vehicle? Come on, demonstrating hevre, you need to look deeper and come up with better ideas than attacking a newly elected Minister. Maybe he has plans that deserve to be tried out? For sure, I hear no workable ideas from the demonstrators. How about demanding from the Histadruth a workable plan for the country?

DOESN"T mean he-Lapid- has the brains nor the education to run the economics of the country! And he does not! We do not need any added taxes!! the Country is doing JUST FINE! It's a lie that the government needs the money. we have plenty of resources and the promise of the new Gas coming on-line. What is needed is to CUT TAXES A BIT AND help the middle class move up!

Advice to the Demonstrators..Instead of trying to shaft each other take a leaf out of the thriving African refugee communty's book maybe they can teach some tricks..

and thank the government? Lapid is trying to help the country for sure. i only wish that the billionaires in this country will help too - and reduce part of the pain to overcome this deficit.

Are you joking? I agree the budget should be balanced but taxes and more taxes is not the way to go. You state that the rich create jobs, however the mark up on basic commodities is astronomical. 100 percent plus tax on cars,gasoline and in some cases toys. They even mark up the price of iphones by as much as 35 percent and then the government taxes on top of that which brings the price more than 50 percent higher than in some other countries.

we of course no-one is happy, it is cetainly a brave plan to have such a radical cuts as he did. However someone has to do it, and make sure we will follow suit after Greece and Cyprus. israeli goverment cannot hand over money as ransom, it must be fair. and a long term solution for housing israelis should be looked at seriously and thoroughly.

and 99% of Israelis have had the wool pulled over their eyes cause they believe austerity is the only way to save the economy. Love it when the politicians frighten us with "this will not be another cyprus or greece". Fiscal responsibility doesnt mean you send everyone to the poor house. Instead of modeling after obama and dumb US policies go see what Canada did at the economic downturn and take lessons on how to fix an ailing economy. Job creation, benefits to corporations and etc is the way to start. When everyone is working and making a decent living they can have what to pay taxes from. In Israel it needs to start with government workers working a full day to earn their paycheques and getting paid similar to average people in the private sector.

This isn't a protest about the budget, I imagine 99% of the protestors don't even know whats in it and are following the masses because thats the patriotic thing to do but this is more about hatred of the evil tycoons. Since the last round of protests the very rich have been made into scapegoats and even if they have gone from rags from riches by working hard to the masses they are some kind of evil, oppressive tycoon who is the cause of all their problems. In 21st century Israel to be very rich is like wearing a badge of shame. The idea of condemning the government for exporting gas is because they see it as big companies run by evil rich tycoons getting rich by making profit from Israeli gas. Selling the gas will generate revenue for the government but big businesses and tycoons will get rich through these exports so it must not be exported. These are the kind of people who have romantic ideas about the countries golden age was when government provided everything and there was no rich and poor because everybody was poor but we were all equal, no evil tycoons. These are protests of hate of the rich more than whats actually in the budget.

money in Israeli,by buying Israeli goods ,in spending their holidays in Israel,possibly with tempting conditions. Organize a contest in schools for inventive ideas to boost Israeli's economy and so fill the State's treasury deficit. DO NOT BURDEN THE WEAK. since a JEWISH state can no way be an inhumane state.

We were told that Israel's economy was sound by Bibi Netanyahu, Dr. Yuval Steinitz and Prof. Stanley Fischer! That was before the election. Now the bottom has fallen out of the bucket and Labor, which was in the Government for some time, Shas and Yadut Ha'Tora are crying foul! Where were they when the country was bleeding money? Billions were spent of the "illegal" settlements. I could understand spending money on settlements which will be part of Israel should there ever be a Peace Agreement. Most of this money will be written off just like all the investments in Gush Katif! Add to this the billions paid to the Haredim for their "support" of Bibi's Government and that explains why we are up the creek without a paddle! Maybe Yair Lapid can fix what the "experts" broke!

them flee abroad. However Lapid might organize special beautiful selective events to raise money ,with interesting prices for the 20 biggest sponsors WITH LOTS of PUBLICITY ! !.