For the first time since Israel’s housing and cost-of-living protests began, last night there was no massive Saturday night demonstration in Tel Aviv. But there were several well-attended demonstrations in other cities such as Haifa, Beersheba and Afula. Though many leftist groups and non-governmental organizations have sought to exploit this movement for their own political ends, it cannot be denied the protesters have touched a nerve. The vast majority of Israelis see them as a reasonable response to genuine problems.
Though much of the coverage of these demonstrations have sought to shoehorn them into a political context in which the Israeli government can be depicted as the villain of the story, COMMENTARY contributor Sol Stern points out in the City Journal that in fact this unrest represents an opportunity for Prime Minister Netanyahu to advance the cause of free market reform.
