Thousands Rally in Tel Aviv

I was exchanging e-mails with a friend and realized that he did not know anything about the peaceful protests going on in Israel. Apparently this has not yet hit the international media in a big way. So for those of you who are not familiar, I wanted to post a few pictures and observations. As everything on my blog, what I write reflects my own personal opinion and in now way reflects official policy.

There is a protest going on in Israel right now. People old and young, religious and secular--though I might add mostly middle class--have come together to demand "social justice." Rothschild Boulevard, a posh Tel Aviv street, has become a speakers corner of sorts for groups demanding lower cost of living (particularly rent). You can also find subgroups demanding rights for Arab Israelis, equal educational opportunities for secular and religious Jews, no dairy subsidies (the dairy farmers are against this), vegetarianism, freeing Hamas' captive Gilad Shalit, and lower cost of living in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. This Saturday night, 300,000 Israelis poured into the streets for a protest March. See the first photo above (credit: AP/Oded Balilty). The rest of the photos and the video are mine.