Benjamin Netanyahu is this the end of his leadership?

[John ''True Grit'' Wayne]

More than 150,000 take to streets across Israel in largest housing protest yet

Demonstrations held in more than 10 cities across Israel in bid to lower spiraling costs of living; joint Jewish-Arab protest held for first time since demonstrations began 16 days ago.

By Ilan Lior , Gili Cohen , Jack Khoury, Nir Hasson, Yanir Yagna and Eli Ashkenazi Tags: Israel housing protest Israel protest Israel strike






More than 100,000 people took to the streets Saturday to protest the spiraling costs of living in Israel. Marches and rallies took place in eleven cities across the country, with the largest ones taking place in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Be'er Sheva and Haifa. The protesters chanted "the people demand social justice" and "we want justice, not charity."
The biggest protest was in Tel Aviv, where tens of thousands march from HaBima Square to the Tel Aviv Museum. "We are very happy to see the Israeli people go out into the streets," said Yonatan Levy, one of the organizers. "We were amazed to see throughout the day that the issues that were raised on the different stages and tent cities are not so removed from each other after all."
Israelis hold up banners as they march in Tel Aviv on July 30, 2011.
Photo by: AFP
In Haifa, 8,000 people marched through the city. In Jerusalem, 10,000 protesters marched from Horse Park to the house of Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. In Be'er Sheva, 3,000 protesters marched carrying banners saying "Be'er Sheva is shouting times seven." "Sheva" is the Hebrew word for the number seven.
In Ashdod, protesters marched from City Park. Around 150 people gathered at Ashdod's tent city on their way to the march. Students from Beit Barl marched from the tent city at Kfar Sava to central Ra'anana junction.


Tens of thousands march through central Tel Aviv in protest at the high cost of living in Israel, July 30, 2011.Tal Cohen

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For the first time since the beginning of the protests 16 days ago, a protest involving both Jews and Arabs took place in central Nazareth. In Kiryat Shmona 1,000 protesters marched in the city's main road, towards the southern exit of the city.
Many prominent Israeli musicians performed at the rallies, including Hemi Rodner, Dan Toren, Yehuda Poliker, Barry Sakharov Yishai Levi, Aviv Geffen, and others.

[John ''True Grit'' Wayne]

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national...salem-1.376192
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national...t-yet-1.376102
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition...right-1.376113
http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-...-bibi-1.375908
Gideon Levy / Israeli protesters must remain in tents until time is right

The night I was proud to be an Israeli.

By Gideon Levy Tags: Israel Protest Israel News Tel Aviv






It was the night that Benjamin Netanyahu was tossed out of the Prime Minister's Office in disgrace.
Netanyahu will stay in office for a time, but his time is up. Finished. He will squirm and make promises, make declarations and turn tail, he will trot out a few more tricks, but it won't help him an iota.
Protest tents line Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv.
Photo by: Motti Kimchi
As of yesterday, he is a lame duck. Last night, Israel's 17th prime minister was handed his walking papers. When tens of thousands of Israelis across the country scream, "Bibi go home," Bibi will indeed go home. Bye bye, Bibi, good-bye for good.
It was the night that every Israeli can and should be proud of being Israeli, as never before. Israel's true pride march took place yesterday. There can be no better public relations campaign for this despised, shunned country than the demonstration last night of this new Israel. The Foreign Ministry should broadcast the images to the entire world. Israeli democracy celebrated last night as it has not done in years, standing up against all those who would see it fall. Without violence, without superfluous police reinforcements, not Cairo nor even Athens, but something much more beautiful - a genuine light unto the nations.
The people had its say, speaking with a loud voice; with neither fear nor cause for fear - tahrir, freedom, but no gunfire. Speaking? Nay, shouting. Yes, last night I was very proud to be an Israeli. I felt embarrassed only at my inability to whistle with two fingers, like the masses that marched down Ibn Gvirol Street whistling in derision and at earsplitting volume, rocking the walls of Goocha, whose patrons went on eating their seafood as though nothing unusual was happening. Had I known how, I too would have whistled.
There has never before been such a demonstration in Israel - everyone together, young and old, right and left, Arabs and Jews. The state that was created at the (old ) Tel Aviv Museum last night demonstrated its robustness and maturity in front of the current Tel Aviv Museum of Art.
Between these museums lie 63 years of ups and downs. Last night was the ultimate high water mark. Last night was also, apparently, the biggest demonstration ever, bar the one after Sabra and Shatila.
The protests went up a notch last night. Chants about high rents were rare. "The people demand social justice," was the most common, followed by "Hoo ha, mi zeh ba? Medinat harevaha" (Who's that coming? It's the welfare state ). Socialism, today? Yes, with choked throats and emotional tones. The protest took flight last night. Forget the housing protest, it's no longer alone. Those who feared that the protest was too narrow, too spoiled, yesterday watched it expand. Its goals are already way beyond a small rented apartment.
Those who grimaced at the mini-Woodstock on Rothschild must now recognize that this boulevard is only the launching pad for an explosion of a movement, the most impressive protest movement in Israeli history.
The cynics should be ashamed of themselves. Anyone who was out on the streets last night could only be moved emotionally - and if not, then they should be ashamed. When I stepped on the toes of an innocent passerby, a religious man, he spat, "This isn't social justice." Had anybody even heard the term before all this began?
The soundtrack of last week's demonstration included John Lennon, but last night Janis Joplin was added - another way of going up a notch. Corinne Alal's "Zan Nadir" was also played last night: "We're afraid of our own shadow, clinging to the walls of the buildings, and most of the time are ashamed of our bodies, digging bomb shelters ... We're a rare species, a strange bird, dreams in the air and head in the ground." Last night, the dreams were in the air, and what air! Last night I was so proud to be an Israeli

[Tiberios]

Well, it will certainly be interesting to see what comes of this.

[John ''True Grit'' Wayne]

He has failed in the peace process(not all his fault).Doctors are protesting.Arabs and jewish Israelis are protesting together about housing.He does not seem to get on with Obama and has had dissagrements with many leaders.He brings in new laws against boycotting which people are protesting against.Would a new leader be better for the peace process?Would a less bullying leader be better?This is a anti Bibi thread not anti jewish i stand behind the jewish and arab israeli revolt/spring for social justice...

[Halbard]

this guy was only elected prime minister because his brother was killed in Entebbe.

[John ''True Grit'' Wayne]

this guy was only elected prime minister because his brother was killed in Entebbe.

What?Tell me more

[Rome101]

this guy was only elected prime minister because his brother was killed in Entebbe.

Right, because his ability to save the Israeli economy has NOTHING to do with elections. Because everyone knows his brother was killed in the Entebbe operation.

Frankly, he's an ass. And a huge one for that matter. But if there's one thing he knows his and wits about, is making a great economy out of a very lousy one.
Sure, times are rough now, but that's only because it would have been MUCH, MUCH WORSE if it weren't. Thanks to this man, who I really DON'T want as my PM, the Israeli economy swam like a dolphin through the tsunami that drowned every other Western state.

So, at the end of the day, making ridiculous claims and wild accusations is all fun and dandy, but the truth is that he saved Israel. Now he must go though, because once he's done with the economy we need a strong leader with a strong coalition to make Israel even more secular than it is right now, and sign a peace treaty that will hopefully end this bloody conflict once and for all. But let Bibi make a good economy beforehand.

[YukonTrooper]

Thanks to this man, who I really DON'T want as my PM, the Israeli economy swam like a dolphin through the tsunami that drowned every other Western state.

Are you sure about that? You're talking about Western countries after the 2008 financial collapse, correct? Canada did the best of all G20 nations. I'm not sure where Israel falls in line with those nations.

A point I'd like to bring up though: Here in Canada, a lot of people gave Harper credit for the way Canada maintained its economy after the downturn, and in turn that's probably a huge reason why we now have a Conservative majority. However, the real reason our economy stayed relatively stable is because of our banking infrastructure and our resource based economy. It really had little to do with our Prime Minister. In fact, he's now running the largest deficit in Canadian history, but people are just ignorant. I'm not saying Ben wasn't the reason Israel's economy stayed stable, but how did he save the economy on his own? It's just that so often all the blame and all the credit seems to go to the top without much thought.

@ Israel activists - Congrats. The moderates and progressives in your country are showing the world that you don't all agree with your hardline government. A lot of people give all of Israel a bad rap because of Ben and co. Hopefully the protests can maintain their social message, which seems to have transformed from a message just about prices.

[Admiral Piett]

I was really surprised that he beat Kadima.

[YukonTrooper]

Ohhh, I got a good one: Discon-tent.

[John ''True Grit'' Wayne]

3 billion in AID a year off the USA helps an economy of 7million people.Dont forget the Germans were still paying compensation up to recently for what they did during ww2.Building settlements is good for the economy also as it keeps workers working and they pay taxes.I think that and the weapons industry and pharmacudical industry makes money also.If Bibi was to go who would replace him?Is there anybody good to take over?Israel has had better leaders in the past than him so maybe they have somebody

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national...srael-1.376203
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/eu...410911363.html

[Necromancer]

Another protest in the ME? Sarkozy's probably watching this like a hawk...