An aerial shot of the more than 400,000 demonstrators in Israel. Photo by: Marc Israel Sellem
Last Saturday night marked the largest demonstration ever held in Israel’s 63-year existence. More than 400,000 protesters rallied in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and other cities to demand that the Israeli government take measures to alleviate the economic burdens the majority of the population faces due to the increasingly high cost of living.
Given the number of people who participated in this demonstration, it’s clear that Israelis are just as concerned about their economy as they are about the Palestinian Authority’s bid to gain recognition of a Palestinian state in the U.N. General Assembly later this month.
Considering that Israel’s population is about 8 million, the 400,000 who came out on Saturday night to demonstrate would be the roughly the equivalent of 15 million protesters at one rally in the United States. The magnitude of Saturday night’s protests could have easily led to civil unrest, yet not one incident of violence or arrest was reported.
In Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, and Libya, thousands of lives have been lost the past few months in protests against repressive governments. Meanwhile, in Israel, our people joined hands in protest without lifting a hand in violence, demonstrating how a free and united people can gather peacefully to voice our concerns.
What do you think?
8:36 pm
I agree! That is so neat that they demonstrated by holding hands,We don’t have to scream,and hate..for God to hear us,He isn’t deaf. He knows our hearts.and He is in control! What a wonderful God we serve. God bless Isreal..He will!!!
5:00 pm
GOD SAID:
BE STILL AND KNOW I AM GOD!!
3:12 pm
אלוהים יברך את ישראל